Broken Toys
by Mangascribbler
Summary: The country of Fiore is teetering on the brink of becoming one massive house of dolls under the control of one girl named Lacie. The only ones who stand in her way are the guilds Fairy Tail and Midnight Sun.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hullo! This is M.S., your friendly (or not) author! This is my first Fairy Tail fic, so I hope you like it :)**

**I will be posting every Wednesday and Saturday I can, and if you don't review, I don't publish because I don't think anyone is reading :D**

**Alright loves, here is the story…. Yes, I inserted my own characters, but they get more or less ignored when the ball really gets rolling 0D (that face is my Cyclops) **

Dawn of the Midnight Sun

"Luuucy… Luuuucy… Lucy!" The voice echoed around her consciousness, slowly seeping into her mind and bringing her out of her heavy sleep.

"Huh?" Lucy mumbled, rolling over in her bed and rubbing her eyes. She opened them to find a face barely two inches from her own. "GAH!" she screamed, lashing out protectively. Her hand came in contact with a face, and then became tangled in a familiar scarf. As the offending person fell backward off the bed, Lucy was dragged off as well, landing on the stomach of whoever it was.

"Oof!"

"Natsu?" She cried in mild alarm, seeing the salmon-haired dragon slayer poking out from beneath her.

"Lucy, I think you should get off Natsu, he can't breathe… he's turning blue!" a piping voice called from above. Looking up, Lucy saw Happy swirling above her on fluffy wings.

"Happy?" Lucy wondered, getting off the now flat Natsu.

"Aye!" the blue cat trilled joyfully.

"What are you doing here in my room?" The blonde girl scolded, shaking a finger at her fiery friend as he peeled himself off the floor and ignoring Happy as he tugged on one of her many stray hairs.

"Wow Lucy, you're heavy…" Natsu gasped.

"_Excuse _me?" Lucy hit Natsu over the head with a pillow before listening to the rest of his words.

"And I got us a job… You hit harder than you land…" He complained feebly from his awkward position on the ground, a small bump forming on his head. "What do you have in your pillow, rocks?"

"My diary, but that's not important right now… what's the job?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Happy and I left the paper with Mirajane, we have to go back and get it, but we'd figure we'd pick you up first." The dragon slayer grunted, getting up off the floor for the second time in two minutes.

"Okay, well, wait here while I change! No peeking!" Lucy added the warning as an afterthought as she pulled an outfit from her closet.

"Why would I do that?" Natsu asked. Lucy threw a bottle of shampoo at him from the bathroom. "Ow! You told me not to peek and when I don't show interest in peeking you get mad? What the heck?"

"Never try to understand females Natsu!" Happy said wisely, "It never works anyway."

…..

"'Dear Diary…. Today I went on another job with Natsu. He did really well, aside from the fact that the house we were supposed to be guarding half-collapsed when he torched a couple of thugs.'… Look Happy! I'm in here!" Natsu yelled happily.

"What about me?" the cat asked eagerly. Natsu skimmed the pages and then jabbed at one.

"There! 'Happy is so annoying sometimes, but he is also thoughtful and cute, especially around Charle…' Hm… nah, the bit about me is better." Natsu replied dismissively.

"What. Are. You. _DOING?_" Lucy shrieked, stepping out of the bathroom wearing her typical short skirt and sleeveless shirt, whip at her side and Plue stumbling around her feet.

"Uh, nothing, nothing at all!" Natsu laughed nervously, stuffing the diary back in the pillow case, "Well, let's get going, I'm sure Mira is getting tired of reserving our job!"

"Get back here you jeeeeerk!" Lucy chased Natsu down the streets as he ran for Fairy Tail, Happy fluttering about in a panicked manner above his friend's head.

Natsu slammed through the double doors of the guild, slipping across the wood floor and smashing into the bar, which he quickly leapt behind for shelter. Happy clung to the rafters where it would be impossible for the raging celestial mage to reach him.

The scene in the Guild was the same as it was any other day. Jet and Droy sobbing together at one table while watching Gajeel compliment Levy as she decoded ancient runes, Gray (conspicuously lacking clothes) pushing Juvia off him, Reedus painting, Mira at the bar, Cana chugging alcohol, Wakaba and Macao checking out girls as Romeo tried desperately to get his father's attention off of women and onto work. Yeah, a typical day in Fairy Tail.

"NAAATSUUUU!" Lucy roared, spotting the pink top of his head poking out from behind the bar.

"Eeeee…" Natus squeaked. The rest of the guild went quite.

"Ten Jewels on a win for Lucy!" Gray called.

"Juvia is with Gray-sama!"

"I'm betting against Natsu." Lisanna pitched in, "He can't hit a girl."

"If you're a man, you don't hit women!" Elfman shouted.

"Thanks for the encouragement guys…!" Natsu said weakly from his hiding place, Lucy's footsteps growing closer. Mira decided to step in.

"Here's the job Natsu reserved Lucy!" she said, cheerfully handing the blonde a sheet of paper.

"Request… treasure hunt through underground tunnels… Find the chest containing my family heirlooms…" Lucy read out loud, "Reward, 200,000 jewels?"

"I figured it would be perfect," Natsu put in, cautiously raising his head above his protective wooded barrier, "Since we can just use Virgo and get some easy cash… then you can pay your rent for a long time, right?"

"Aw, Natsu!" Lucy squealed, seeming to forget about the diary as she leaned over the bar to hug him, "You're so sweet!"

Mira sighed in relief even as the rest of the guild groaned in disappointment at the match that had seemed so likely to take place.

"Uh, yeah, let's get going!" Natsu laughed sheepishly, hoping Lucy's good mood would last. Or that she would just forget he was ever looking through her diary. Either way.

….

"We're here! At last! Gwahhh…" Natsu stumbled of the carriage queasily, Lucy and Happy following in his wake. The old mine looked ready to collapse at any moment, creaky wooden beams the only thing that held it up.

"Oh, this looks like fun." Lucy said sarcastically.

"Doesn't it though?" Natsu cried excitedly, like a child on an Easter egg hunt, and in the process completely missing Lucy's sarcasm, "Come on Lucy, summon Virgo so we can start!"

"Oh, right…" Lucy withdrew a single golden key from the case at her hip. "Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!" A girl in a maid outfit appeared, her hair tousling in the slight breeze.

"You called, Princess?" Virgo said with a bow, the chains on her wrists clanking.

"Alright Virgo, we're looking for treasure in those tunnels. Help us out, kay?" Lucy sounded upbeat and cheerful.

"Yes, Princess." Virgo disappeared into the ground.

"Nothing left to do but wait until she gets back!" Lucy sighed happily.

"You're really lazy Lucy." Happy commented.

"Shut up cat." Lucy growled, sitting down to wait.

….

"Princess, I have located the treasure." Virgo announced, suddenly springing from the ground, interrupting the game of tic-tac-toe Lucy and Natsu had been playing with sticks in the dirt.

"Really? Great! Show us to it, Virgo!" Natsu yelped, leaping to his feet.

"Aye!"

"As you wish." Virgo replied, turning back to face the tunnels.

"Yaaay! Treasure hunt!" Happy squealed, zipping after Natsu and Lucy.

…

"Ah!" Lucy sighed happily, "We got out reward fair and square this time! We completed the mission to a T!"

"Hey Happy, how many dango do you think I can buy with 50,000 jewels?" Natsu queried, tipping his head to one side thoughtfully.

"I don't care, I'm buying fish! Salmon, trout, halibut, tilapia, dorado…" Happy began to drool, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Well, my share is going to my rent and maybe a new key if I can find one!" Lucy practically sang.

"You have a lot of keys already, Lucy." Natsu said, thinking back.

"Yeah, but it can't hurt to have an extra pair of hands on our side. Once I get stronger then I can summon multiple spirits." Lucy told him. She suddenly became aware of the muttering and stares her group was attracting as they entered the city limits of Magnolia.

"Why are they looking at us…?" Natsu murmured, "Are we maybe covered in dirt? Do we smell weird? Or is there something like a 'kick me' sign on my back?" he craned his neck to try to see.

"There's nothing wrong with us, especially not that last one…." Lucy muttered back, "I wonder what's wrong?" She listened closely to the words that were being spoken around them.

"Should we tell them? It _is _their guild…"

"What, and risk getting ripped apart or turned into sashimi by that psycho?"

"But if they just walk in without knowing, they'll get hurt…"

"You tell them then!"

Lucy looked at Natsu with wide eyes, fear reflecting in their depths.

"Tell us what?" Natsu yelled, stopping in the middle of the street. Lucy's stare had galvanized him into action, snapping out of his almost panic-like state of paralysis.

The two men who had been arguing with one another in the shadows fell silent. One of them, throwing a dirty look at the other came forward looking nervous.

"There are strange people in you guild… they just paraded right through the city and slammed into Fairy Tail… one of the men was armed with a vast array of knives, he attacked some of the citizens for no reason before going into the building…" He stammered, tripping over his words in his fear.

Natsu didn't even look at Lucy, already turning and speeding toward the guild. Lucy needed no signal, she already knew how Natsu worked. Whipping around at almost the same time, she sprinted after him.

Fairy Tail came into sight after a little ways of running, and instantly they could tell something was wrong. There were none of the usual sounds that signified the busy guild. It was as if the building was empty.

Natsu kicked in the door, Lucy at his side.

Controlled chaos was ensuing. Every Fairy Tail member was frozen, helplessly watching what went on. Two pure white wolves were cornering Charle, Pantherlily already out for the count as he struggled to escape the huge canine pinning him down. A man who bore striking resemblance to the animals was sitting on one of the tables, watching with amusement evident in his cold yellow eyes, white hair falling over them carelessly.

Another man, this one perhaps seventeen, was sitting on a bar stool, doing nothing. His eyes were only half open, his irises constantly shifting color beneath his lids.

A third intruder was much more conspicuous. Seated on Gajeel's chest, his hair was mostly concealed beneath a hood, but what was visible was dark brown, and his eyes were an odd array of colors. Around the pupil was crimson that paled to gold which in turn faded to green. He was unnaturally tall and skinny, his long fingered hand clutching a bone-handle knife which he was currently dragging through Gajeel's face.

The boy pressed harder, drawing blood in a smooth, clean cut. The red liquid dripped down Gajeel's face, pooling on the wood. The boy dipped a finger in it, placing a drop on his tongue.

"Hee hee hee…. You're blood is so pretty… I've never seen dragon blood. Is it as pretty as this? I want to see more!" the boy raised the knife high above his head, bringing it down in a stabbing motion. Lucy closed her eyes helplessly, waiting for the sound that would signify Gajeel's death, but it never came.

"Shredder!" the man with the wolves was on his feet, one of his pets locking its fangs into the knife boy's wrist to stop the deadly path of the blade. "We're not here to fight!"

"I don't see _you _doing anything to stop your poodles from trying to rip up the cats!" Shredder shot back.

"They're _wolves….!_"

"Nnnn…" the person at the bar mumbled sleepily, "Finny won't be happy if you kill a Fairy…" he yawned.

"Shut up Wish!" Shredder snapped at the now snoozing boy. "And Kiba, get your dog off my arm!"

"Who are you people?" Natsu roared, finally breaking in on the scene while Lucy continued to take in details of the room. Something was wrong… some of the guild was frozen in very odd positions… Cana was frozen in the act of leaping to her feet, anger in her face, her feet suspended three inches from the ground. Levy was paused as she removed her glasses, her magic pen poised. Something was very wrong.

"Us?" Wish asked, jerking awake before he fell off the stool, "Oh…"

"We're the Midnight Sun."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, it's me again. Thanks for the reviews I got! Not as many as I would have hoped, but more people added me to their story alert or favorites, so that makes me happy too! :)**

** Here's the next chapter for you!**

**Please review… if you feel like it. :P**

Introduction to Dollhouse

"Midnight… Sun?" Now that she looked, each of them had a guild mark on them somewhere… Shredder had it on his neck in black, barely visible behind equally dark hood; Wish's was on his left bicep in dark blue; Kiba had the mark stitched to the front of his white jacket in gold.

A circle, half of it formed by a crescent moon and the other half carrying triangles that were obviously supposed to represent rays of light.

"That's right," the one they called Kiba answered, "Midnight Sun, the mercenary guild from the south."

"You… bastards!" Natsu roared, charging forward. Shredder got up off the floor to meet the dragon slayer's challenge, drawing a second knife from somewhere inside his hooded coat, licking the edge to test the sharpness.

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu bellowed, spewing flames.

"Knife magic! Guardian of the Crossed Blades!" Shredder called in answer, crossing the knives in front him. The fire split around his body in two waves, slamming the wall behind him. "How do ya like _that_?" the knife wielder cried with a maniacal laugh. He stopped as he saw Natsu charging at him again, and quickly ducked the blow, stumbling slightly. "Hoo, you're fast!"

Natsu simply replied by shoot more flames at the offending person.

"AHHH!" A woman screamed, fire wooshing over her as soon as she walked into the guild. Everyone who was still mobile looked in her direction. Surprisingly, she wasn't at all burnt. Having flinched in a manner that caused her arms to cover her face, she had accidentally used Juvia as a shield in water form.

_A water mage…? _Lucy thought in surprise.

Her tanned ocher-toned skin was set off by dark blonde hair and gray eyes that were currently sparking in fury. Her blue halter top was pulled over jean shorts, leather sandals adorning her feet.

She looked around quickly, craning around Lucy to glare at Kiba.

"You lot… are the _biggest idiots _I have _ever _had the misfortune to meet!" She yelled, startling her fellow blonde and nearly treading in the puddle that was Juvia.

"Of all the stupid people in the world, you had to get stuck with me _and _Shredder." Wish yawned.

"Are you implying that I'm stupid?" Shredder asked curiously.

"Shredder! Sit!" the newcomer barked. To Lucy's great shock, the possibly insane blade wielder complied.

"Yes Finny…" He said meekly, sitting right there on the floor where he had stood, folding his legs beneath himself, now ignoring Natsu. Finny turned away from Shredder and now glared at Kiba and Wish.

"Kiba, call off your mutts…"

"They're _wolves_…" the lupine man muttered with frustration, "Glacier, Avalanche, Blizzard, heel!" The wolves pricked their ears before trotting back to their master's side, still snarling at Pantherlily and Charle. Happy, now able to reach Charle without encountering a mass of white fur and porcelain colored fangs, rushed to her side.

"… and Wish, remove the bonds you set." The woman finished.

"Yeah yeah… Sluggard's magic… Time Halt Release…" the boy's voice was muffled by the fact that his head was buried in his arms as he slumped over onto the bar. Never the less, everyone began to move again. Even if they were immobile, it seemed that they had been able to see and hear everything that transpired.

Mira, who had been polishing a glass, turned around, and in an unwonted display of anger, threw the mug at Wish. The time mage raised his hand in lazily, making a shooing motion at the cup, which froze in mid air before zooming back at her hand with double the force it had flown with as if it were on rewind. The glass smacked into Mira's hand, causing her to yelp with pain.

Juvia reformed her body woozily, helped by Lucy. Cana completed her leap from the bar stool and Levy hastily shoved her pen in her pocket, rushing over to Gajeel who still lay motionless aside from his eyes.

"Gajeel?" the blue haired girl cried, trying and failing to lift his limp body from the floor. "What did you do to him?" she yelled at Shredder.

"I paralyzed him with my knife magic. It'll wear off in a while… I think… actually, no one I used that on survived long enough for me to find out if the effect wears off at all… ha ha…" he answered in bemused tones.

Full on fighting was going on now. Wish had set up a time barrier so that anyone who came within five feet of him froze and had to be pulled out by their comrades. He was now snoring openly with his arms acting as a pillow.

Shredder was agilely dodging Levy's Solid Script magic by mere centimeters, every few seconds glancing at Finny as if hoping she would give permission for him to attack.

Pantherlilly was on his feet again and now in his large form, engaging Kiba and his wolf pack.

Lucy looked around wildly. She wasn't sure whether she should help or not. Those people had said they weren't here to fight, but at this point, she wasn't sure there was anything she could do to stop the brawl. Maybe if she brought out Loke then he could help subdue the crowd…? Lucy drew her keys, but it seemed her talents would be unnecessary.

"Wish! Freeze the room again!" Finny shouted across the room. Wish gave a lazy wave in her direction, and everyone stopped moving. "Thanks, Wish."

"No prob'm…." he muttered sleepily.

"Okay, look people. Things kind of got off on the wrong foot, but I assure you we're not here to start a war. Please stop fighting and listen to what I have to say. Wish?" She glanced over at him again, and with a sigh he waved his hand again, counter clockwise this time, contrary to the first.

"Sluggard's Magic… Time Halt Release… stop using me Finny, I'm tired…" he complained.

"Sorry!" the water mage apologized sincerely as the rest of the people in the room regained their mobility.

"Alright, spit it out!" Gray snarled, "Why the hell are you people here?"

"Actually, how did the fighting start? I need to know so I report to the master _who needs to be punished_." Finny added the last words with a delicate stress while gazing hard at Shredder.

"Hey, they started it. We came in, Blizzard started barking at the white cat, and the black cat started fighting. Blizzard beat the tar outta the black cat and that dragon slayer got all pissy on us, so Shredder replied in kind… Wish paused the room 'cause everyone was being loud and he was trying to sleep." Kiba answered.

"_We _started it?" Jet cried, dodging Wendy as she ran to heal Gajeel, "_You _barged in here like you owned the place!"

"Yeah? Well maybe if you guys weren't so _vulnerable_, we _wouldn't _have been _able _to walk in like that!" Kiba snapped.

"Say that again!" Droy dared.

"What, couldn't hear the first time? Okay, let me repeat that for ya. Maybe if your guild wasn't so-"

"SHUT UP!" Finny howled over the noise, "Never mind, I don't _care _who started it! We brought a letter from the Master for Master Makarov! Urgent business, we need to see him _now_."

"Why should we trust you to be alone with the Master? You might be assassins!" someone in the crowd yelled.

"And anyway, the Master isn't here just now." Wakaba put in as Macao nodded beside him.

"Ohh… but… our Master told us to give this _only _to Master Makarov!" Finny fretted.

"Anything your guild master has to say can be heard by the rest of us in the Master's stead. Read the letter." Mirajane told the other girl.

"Well… I… I guess so. Just don't do anything rash when you hear what the Master says." Finny opened the letter and began to read.

"_Dear Macky,_

_ How are you, you old geezer? You haven't been to see us for a while! _

_ I heard about Lauxus by the way, I can't imagine expelling him was easy… but because you _did _expel him, we now have great neighbors! Lauxus has started a guild called Strom Break not too far from our own Midnight Sun!_

Ugh! Blabbering on and on and on… isn't that just like the Master…" Finny scanned the page, turned it over, and then stopped. "Here we are something significant…"

"_I would have come to see you myself but there is a bit of trouble on my end. See, this dark guild by the name of Dollhouse has popped up nearby. I'm not sure 'guild' is the proper term for it, seeing as it only has one true member, but it's been causing problems._

_ Let me explain. Dollhouse consists of one girl of perhaps fourteen, and a cursed doll. The magic the girl uses turns people it snares into her personal puppets. Thus, Dollhouse is a guild full of mindless drones._

_ I would take care of this on my own, but there is a problem. The only way to get a person out of the control of Lacie (the 'guild master' of Dollhouse) is to get them out of range. Several of my members have been taken. Stitches Merone, Daisy Evermore, and Galice Halt have all been abducted, as well as your own Alzack Connell, Bisca Mulan, and…." _Finny paused, biting her lip and looking around before she finished, "_Erza Scarlet." _

Lucy gasped and everyone else seemed stunned to silence.

"Wait…. You mean to tell us that Erza is working for another guild?" Lucy said at length as Gray trembled with rage beside her.

"Unfortunately, yes." Finny replied.

"Yeah right!" Natsu butted in, "Erza would rather _die _before betraying us!"

"Are you calling our Master a _liar_?" Kiba yelled, balling his hands into fists.

"It's not a matter of betrayal, it's a matter of mind control! Now shut up, I wasn't finished.

_We recovered Stitches and Connell with great risk. I have sent your guild member with these escorts who should be giving you this letter. We patched him up best we could, but he is still in critical condition due to the fact that our primary healer, Galice, is still trapped in the Dollhouse. _

_ I trust these escorts completely. I have sent you the groups Red Tide (Finny Ellis, Wish Moore, Shredder Jax) and Wild Soul (Kiba Hunt, Kova Ward, Kazin Ward). I am sending this letter to plead with you to join our guilds temporarily to take out comrades back. Please reply ASAP, things are looking grim._

_ Love, S & S"_

"Hold up." Natsu said, seeming more calm now… _at least he's not attacking the other guild now…_ Lucy sighed inwardly. Rather, the news of Erza's capture seemed to have shocked him to stillness. "The letter said six people plus Alzack. I see four. Where are the rest of them?"

"Good question… I left Connell with Kova and Kazin, but I don't know where they are…" Finny answered. Gajeel finally began to stir slowly.

"Why did your master send a letter in written form when it would be easier to record his message via lacrima?" the metal dragon slayer grunted, sitting up, "And you, you're on my list." He snarled at Shredder, who replied with a smile as he glanced up from cleaning under his nails with the tip of a knife.

"The Master wanted to keep this a secret from the rest of the guild so that Master Makarov could tell you in his own words… but he's not here, and our guild doesn't have a lot of time at this point, so-"

"Fiiiiiiny!" The door slammed open for the second time that day to reveal two small figures supporting a larger figure. "Look otouto-kun, we made it!"

"Yes onii-san, we're here!"

"Kova! Kazin! Here, put Connell down… gently…" Finny said as she rushed over. The two boys laid Alzack on the floor. One boy appeared to be of about fourteen. He had wild blonde hair that fell to the base of his neck. His eyes were deep amber, underplayed with dark gold.

The other was only half the age of the first, but aside from the age difference, could have been twins. This boy's eyes were amber as well, but his were underplayed with crimson rather than ocher.

Both wore black, spiked collars with round, silver dog tags hanging from them. Their clothes were rough and basic, consisting of ripped, knee length black shorts and shredded t-shirts of crimson. Both lacked shoes, their feet blackened with dirt.

"Is anyone here a healer?" Finny called fearfully. Alzack was roughly bandaged around the head, his arm splinted and yet more gauze wound around his torso, visible beneath his clothing. He was staring straight ahead with a vacant look in his eyes and his mouth moved without sound.

Wendy ran over, crouching at Alzack's side and began to work her magic, his wounds and contusions closing as the rest of Fairy Tail watched.

"Bisca…" Alzack mumbled, his voice finally working in time to his mouth, "Don't… Don't… I'll die…." He seemed to be hallucinating, seeing things that weren't there. "Bisca… why did you do this to me?"

"Bisca did this to him?" Lucy asked, aghast.

"Yes," Kiba said grimly, stepping up next to his teammates as they grinned at him, exposing long canine teeth, "That is the power of Dollhouse. That is the power of Shadow Puppet, the cursed doll."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hullo! Thanks for all your neat reviews guys! And I must ask…. AsiansAreAwesome-AAA, why did you have to slap yourself before reviewing….?**

** Here is the next chapter, and I have to tell you, they actually **_**arrive at the Dollhouse **_**in chapter 7. That's when the ball really gets rolling and Midnight Sun more or less disappears, so if the OC's are pissing you off, calm down, they'll go away eventually. **

**Enjoy!**

Alliances 

"Kiba's right!" Kova, the older of the two brothers cried.

"Ha ha, yeah! Kiba's right!" Kazin, the younger cheerfully echoed from behind his sibling. The pair suddenly spotted Charle, Happy, and Pantherlily.

"We're hungry." They said in unison. Finny looked at them.

"And…?" she wondered. There wasn't really much they could do about it now, they were in the middle of negotiations with another guild.

"We wanna eat the cats."

"Forget cooking, we'll take them raw." The pair grinned at each other, their fangs gleaming wickedly in the light of the guild.

"The white one looks best, don't you think?" Kova asked Kazin.

"Mm, the white one looks best." Kazin agreed.

"One for each of us, yes?"

"Yes, Kiba can have the last one."

"They're not to _eat!_" Finny broke in hastily, "You guys can hunt to your hearts' content when we get out of town on the way back home, okay? And you're not _animals_, so why would you eat _anything _raw?"

The boys simply smiled and said in unison, "Who ever said we weren't animals?"

Natsu stepped forward angrily. "Don't even _think _about touching Happy, Charle, _or _Pantherlily ya damn brats!"

A sound that could only be described as the snarl of a feral dog rumbled from the brothers' throats, their pupils suddenly shifting to cold, narrow, animalistic slits, their ears becoming pointed. Their fingers flexed slightly, their short nails suddenly lengthening into hooked claws, the pair balancing on the balls of their bare feet and bouncing limberly up and down. Kazin ran his tongue over now two inch fangs that nearly overran his bottom lip.

"Will you interfere with the Hunt?" the boy inquired, in his poisoned honey tones.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to touch stray dogs? They might have rabies." Kova queried in a lilting voice full of mock severity that was underplayed with a threatening edge.

Kiba stepped between them, laying black gloved hands on each of their shoulders. Two of the white wolves placed themselves between Natsu and the wild boys, nearly getting their fur scorched off as a blaze started at the furious dragon slayer's feet.

"Your sister would go ballistic if she found out you guys had been stirring up trouble. Don't forget, her magic would crush you two in the blink of an eye." The oldest member of Wild Soul warned. The two boys exchanged glances worriedly.

"Nee-san will scold us…" Kazin murmured.

"Forget scolding, she'll beat us up." Kova fidgeted nervously. The pair began to shift back to their more human state.

"A-anyway," Finny continued, "We need help. Our guild is falling apart because we can't outright attack civilians, and Lacie is using the townspeople as a human shield… we can't get in, we can't back out, we can't fight and we can't last forever. Tensions are running so high that we're starting to turn on each other. Please!" Her voice was desperate, unshed tears shining in her eyes.

"Sorry, I don't trust you guys." Gray said coldly, "For all we know, you're part of a dark guild trying to lead some of our strongest members into a trap to crush us. Erza has only been gone for three days anyways. Until the Master comes back and gets a look at you guys, you'll have to wait around or take a hike." It sounded harsh, but Gray was right. Fairy Tail was the focus of much malice from other guilds, so his caution was justified.

"B-but… we don't have _time-_" the blonde water mage cried.

"Gray-sama is right." Juvia cut in, walking up behind the ice-user, "Juvia _especially _does not like that girl for using Juvia as a shield…." She pouted. Gray looked around at her.

"It's not like you're any worse for wear…" he muttered under his breath.

"But…. Alzack is the _proof_!" Finny struggled to keep her voice down as fear and desperation made it want to rise and break. Shredder docilely raised his hand to say something from where he was sprawled on the floor, but Finny waved him down.

"You could have done that to him." Natsu snapped. Lucy looked back and forth between the two groups. She had honestly believed the people from Midnight Sun… perhaps that was just her own naïveté? Now she had her doubts.

Finny opened her mouth to say something but cut off as shadows began to move unnaturally along the walls and pooled on the floor. Shapes began to take place behind the darkness as if the shadows were windows to another dimension, swirling, dancing, bleeding, grotesque shapes that turned and tapped the film that separated them from the outside world. The places where they touched bulged with tension as if they would split and spill their grisly contents before-

"Wish! Keep it together!" Shredder yelled, suddenly gaining his feet, tension rippling in his shoulders as he fingered the bone-handle knife nervously. As he did, his hood fell back to reveal hair of bronze rather than Lucy's original conception of brown. At that moment everyone turned to the boy at the bar, who until this point, had been mostly ignored due to his apathetic approach to the argument.

Lucy now noticed that where his eyes had been shifting from green to blue to violet and back again, they now were a solid slate gray shot through with vermillion, like the charred earth exposing thin lines of magma just beneath the surface.

He was still slumped over the bar, but his eyes were peeking over the edge of his arm, his visible hand clenched in a white-knuckled fist, his nails digging into his palm. At Shredder's words he jumped to his feet, curly brown hair nearly touching the collar of his dark tee-shirt, and walked to the door, placing one engineer-booted foot against it in preparation to be going.

"Come on Finny." His voice sounded exhausted still, but now carried a firm, somehow bitter edge. "It's obvious we'll find no help here. We may be able to pan-handle some spare change in Onibus to catch a steamer out of the country if we're lucky."

Lucy was torn. Help the strangers and risk her friends, or ignore the strangers and risk the fact that they may speak the truth and could be in severe need of aid. Somehow though, ignoring the other guild seemed wrong… her intuition told her she should help. Then again….

Wish pushed the door open with his toes and looked at Finny again.

"We can't just _leave_!" Finny was beginning to cry now, tears leaking from her eyes with agonizing slowness, "I thought you were more loyal to Shade and Shine at the least!"

"Fine, we go get them and _then _get out of the country! We're screwed either way alright? Lacie's gunna turn the whole damn country into a dollhouse of her own creation, and I'm not sticking around to watch." Wish looked away and prepared to exit when the door he had been about to push all the way open sprung forward on its own. The time mage fell forward, landing ungracefully in a heap of gangly limbs and engineer boots.

"Hm?"

"OLD MAN!" Kova and Kazin howled at the same time, lunging forward.

Natsu tried to grab them, missed, and then cried, "Look out!"

Too late, for the wild boys had already landed on the tiny figure… but rather than trying to tear out his throat, they were…. Hugging him?

"Kova?" Makarov's voice was muffled beneath said boy's smothering embrace, "And Kazin? You were only a baby last time I saw you, you might not remember…"

Kazin looked up, his clear amber eyes confused. "I know. I know because nii-san knows. What he knows, I know. What I know, he knows."

"Ah, of course," the Fairy Tail master replied sagely, "How could I forget that portion of the Hunt magic?"

"Master?" It was Mira.

"Ah, Mira! How were things while I was gone?" the little man asked jovially.

"Fine, but… you know these people?" Her voice was sheepish, a bit timid even.

"Hm? Yes. And oh… is that maybe Wish down there?" He prodded the heap that was Wish as said mage attempted to untangle himself. Shredder came up and uncaringly placed a booted foot on the back of Wish's head.

"Hey old guy." He greeted. Finny didn't move, and neither did Kiba. Finny because she was embarrassed about crying, worried that maybe her make-up was running and Kiba because he had never met the codger before. His wolves had their hackles raised ever so slightly in defense, but they weren't warning him, so he too remained carefully guarded.

"Here's Shredder, I see Finny back there… a new face, but I can see the Midnight Sun mark on you… Is Shade here?" Makarov asked hopefully.

"Nee-san isn't here," Kova told him as Kazin shook his head with wide eyes, "She's out on the battle front."

"Hope she doesn't die." Kazin murmured, lowering his gaze to his dirty, bare toes. Makarov looked warily between the two of them.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Shredder sighed loftily, "Our guild is on the brink of destruction, and the entire country is at risk, maybe the whole damn continent, and your people were about to turn us out on the streets… even when we had the courtesy to bring back one of your own… not to mention those of your guild left behind enemy lines… Fairy Tail mages must have no loyalty to each other…" the bronze haired boy had a somehow creepy smile tugging on his lips. Makarov looked angry and worried.

"Don't ever accuse my guild of disloyalty, Shredder Jax. You least of all. Who's injured, where?" At that moment, Wendy swooned, and Charle ran to her side, Happy in tow. Lucy and Natsu were not totally unaware of the way two sets of amber eyes followed the small cats.

"Wendy!" the white Exceed cried, stopping her from hitting the floor with Happy's help.

Alzack looked a great deal better now, all of his major wounds closed up. A few scrapes here and there, but otherwise fine.

"It _was _Alzack, but seems Wendy fixed him up." Gray told Makarov.

"We coulda fixed him, but Galice got jacked… and the cowardly Fairies won't back us up…." Shredder put in slyly, obviously hoping to instigate a response.

"Aroata Mielus Jax!" (pronounced uh-row-tuh my-el-us) Makarov barked. Natsu had to stifle a laugh as Shredder narrowed his eyes uncomfortably and gave a weak, wavering smile.

"Aw… you know I hate it when you use my name, old man…." He complained weakly.

"Ha!" Natsu snorted, "Aroata Mielus…. Hahaha…."

"Shut up…" the other shot back.

"But…. Master…" Gray suddenly put in as Charle lay Wendy down gently and Makarov examined Alzack, "These people… look what they did to Gajeel! Like _hell _they're allies, that bastard sat there and laughed while cutting up one of our guild mates!"

"That little blue-hair girl can fix him." Shredder muttered.

"You guys _started _it!" Kiba snapped at Gray.

"If _anyone _started it, it was you and your little Shi-tsus!" Elfman put in.

"They're _wolves _dammit!"

"Master, please, there is _no proof _to back up what they are saying!" Evergreen broke in from between a solemn looking Fried and helmeted Bixlow.

"You want proof?" Wish asked, finally extricating himself from beneath Shredder, "Since obviously Master's _word _has no _meaning _to you… Here is your _proof_." Wish lifted his shirt over his head and turned his back to the crowd. Carved into the flesh between his shoulder and all down his spine were the words, _Play with me, Play with me, Play with me PLAY WITH ME _repeated over and over, filling the space on the boy's flesh.

Lucy swallowed a bit nauseously. The wounds were deep and obviously painful, barely sealed with cracked scabs. Above his kidney was a guild symbol that formed the silhouette of a doll.

"Do you want to know who put that there? Lacie herself. Sat in the dirt and used the tip of a knife to do it." Wish said grimly, tugging his shirt back over his head and turning around, "And the only reason I'm still alive and not one of her mental puppets is because that freak of a little girl meant me to be a messenger to the start of our war."

"It just seems… so unlikely… unreal…" Lucy murmured, edging closer to Natsu's comforting heat.

Makarov stepped forward.

"Is that letter from Shade and Shine?" He asked. Finny nodded and gave the paper to him. The old man read it over and nodded a few times before looking up at the envoy of Midnight Sun.

"I agree to help. I officially extend aid to Midnight Sun." Makarov looked up at his guild. "It looks like we'll be going to war."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yay! Thanks to AMU for liking the OC's, I was a bit worried about that considering I've never done OCs before… thanks to those of you who reviewed… And I must ask, please review again!**

**Enjoy!**

Arrival

"But-" Jet cried, looking angry and distressed, stepping forward forcefully through the crowd, "But this has nothing to do with us!"

"It has _everything _to do with you." Kova and Kazin said in unison, turning to face the startled blonde man, "Everything revolves around Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is the axis and Midnight Sun is a spoke. Your fame is the cause and this is the aftermath."

"If the Master commands it, we will go." Mirajane said firmly, now disregarding her slightly swollen hand.

"Wait." Finny cut in, halting the murmurs of assent to Mira's words, "Let me say something here and now. We need people who are strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. That house…. That house isn't right. It preys upon your worst nightmares, your darkest memories, it will persuade you to do things you never thought you could, and if you're not careful, you will be snared like a fly in the web of fear and deceit, becoming a puppet for Lacie."

"What are you saying?" Gray asked angrily, "Are you saying that we can't handle it?"

"_Yes_." Finny stressed, and Lucy thought she understood. Not everyone could look into the face of their own fear and retain their sanity. Not everyone could relive a moment in time and not be crushed. Not everyone could keep their wills strong when faced with a horror nearly beyond imagination.

The blonde celestial mage raised her hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

"When you say that house isn't right, are you speaking from experience?" Gray eyes locked on brown, and Lucy read the answer there.

"Yes, I am. All of us were assigned there."

"Tch, and all of you came back, so it can't be that bad…." Gajeel hissed as Levi made hurried shushing motions and wiped the last of the blood of his newly healed face.

"Hee hee, I guess you liked the taste of your own blood better than I thought…. Shall we go for round two, metal man?" Shredder chuckled darkly, glaring directly into the crimson, equally threatening eyes of the dragon slayer.

"I'll have a group prepared by tomorrow." Makarov told Finny as Kiba tried to placate his yipping pack of wolves, Kazin leaping up onto the back of one of the largest and sitting him bare-back. "Until then, rest yourselves and gather supplies."

Finny bowed to Makarov before calling her roughed up guild mates to her and leaving out the double doors.

"Let's see….. Gajeel, Mira, Elfman, Lisanna, Levy, Wendy, Charle, Canna, Alzack, Juvia… Fried, Bixlow, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Natsu." The tiny man listed, ticking off his fingers as he went. "That's fourteen people and two cats, that should be fine. Gildarts left again, Erza is behind enemy lines, Lauxus has started his own guild, and Mystogan returned to Edolas… Hopefully your group will return with _sixteen_ people and two cats."

Murmuring filled the room.

Natsu looked at Lucy, excitement in his onyx eyes.

"You ready?" he asked her, and she nodded, eyes wide. She was scared, frightened stiff, but she wanted to go, she _had _to go.

"I'm ready."

…

The Fairy Tail group met up with the Midnight Sun group outside of Magnolia the next morning. Shredder looked more subdued than usual, Wish was asleep on his feet, Kova and Kazin were lurking ill-temperedly between the wolves, and Kiba was yawning periodically. The only one who seemed more or less awake out of the Midnight Sun team was Finny.

"Morning!" She greeted to their support from Fairy Tail.

"Mmf." Lucy said in return. Getting up at four A.M. wasn't particularly suited to her taste. Natsu made no reply, but walked around Wish, nonplussed, and then lifted one of the sleeping boy's eyelids gently.

"How does he _do _that?" the dragon slayer asked in wonder.

"Easily, I'd say." Gajeel smirked, "He's brainless, just like you." Levy hit her tall companion lightly on the arm.

"If I'm brainless, I'm not sure what _you _are…whatever it is, I feel bad for you…" Wish mumbled, lazily half raising one eyelid to glare sleepily in Gajeel's direction.

"Braindead?" Shredder murmured questioningly from behind the curly haired time mage.

"Maybe." Wish answered, closing his eye again, Gajeel fuming.

"Right then." Finny broke in, "We'll be taking a train out of Onibus, and walking the rest of the way to the guild. Midnight Sun isn't built in the city we're closest to, Yzar, due to some…unpleasant past occurrences with the guild that was already there."

"T-train?" Natsu yelped. Finny jumped at his sudden rise in tone.

"Um, yeah?"

"Natsu can't stand transportation!" Happy told the water mage joyfully.

"Well, unless you want to _walk _to Yzar…" Finny trailed off.

"Yes! Anything but the train!"

"We could take a boat through the Magnolia canal and out to the ocean if we had one."

"That's woooorse….!" Natsu moaned.

"We could leave you here?" Kiba suggested. Natsu's head snapped up.

"No! No! I'm coming! Wendy!" The small dragon slayer looked up at him. "You think you could fix my motion sickness on this trip?"

"I could try, Natsu-san. I've already used that spell on you a lot though, so I'm not sure how well it will work…." Wendy replied quietly.

"If it doesn't, could you knock him out so he doesn't feel the train moving?" Gray asked with a small smirk, "It'll do us all a favor and keep him quiet."

"What did you say-!"

"Yes, Gray-san, I could."

"The train leaves in six hours, I think we should start walking now." Finny called over the crowd of twenty-two. There was a jumbled murmur of assent, and the group began to plod to Onibus.

…..

In the end, the whole group made it on to the train in the nick of time, and Natsu had to be knocked out with Wendy's anesthesia spell. He now lay draped across one of the seats in a dead sleep.

"Alright," Finny murmured to Lucy and Gray, who sat across from her, "Something I should warn you about."

"What?" Gray asked, shoving Natsu's drooping head out of his face. Shredder got up from between Finny and the snoozing Wish to draw a curling mustache on Natsu's upper lip.

"When you see the Masters, _don't say anything sexist against women or you'll die_. I may be exaggerating, but seriously, don't say anything stupid or you'll end up with so many fractures we could build a jigsaw puzzle out of your pieces."

"You said 'Master_s_" Lucy pointed out, emphasizing the 's'.

"Our guild has two leaders…" Wish mumbled, again with his uncanny knack for picking up conversations in his sleep.

"Two? Can you _do _that?" Lucy questioned, looking at Gray. The ice mage shrugged.

"I don't see why _not_… It's weird, but possible. And what, are your Masters like, mega-pervs?"

"No, their-" Finny was interrupted by the speaker in the train.

"_The train to Yzar will be arriving in ten minutes. Please gather your belongings and prepare to leave the train. Please leave in an orderly fashion without pushing. Thank you for using the Onibus Express Railway, the train will depart for the return trip for Onibus within the next hour. Have a nice day!" _The message cut off there with a crackle. Finny stood up and looked over the heads of their large group.

"Lucy, will you go tell the rest of your guild mates that we'll meet up outside the front gate of the station, just in case we get separated? I need to get our bags in order and wake up Wish."

"I _am _awake… sorta." Wish groaned, stretching upward and rolling his wrists.

"Sure," Lucy replied, standing up and walking over to where Levy, Gajeel, Juvia, Alzack and Wendy sat. Though she was still rather curious about what kind of guild masters would be so upset over comments against women.

….

Leaving the train proved just as complicated as getting on. Kiba's wolf pack had been placed in the livestock car, along with Kazin, Kova, and Kiba himself. As the rest of the passengers including the rest of the Fairy Tail/ Midnight Sun team, exited the train, the wolves came spilling out in a veritable stream, stirring up a near panic in civilians, which wasn't helped by Kova and Kazin's loud whooping from the backs of Avalanche and Glacier.

Kiba hopped out of the car after the animals had been able to leave, his bag in one hand. A station worker then came over and asked Kiba to leave, looking worried as the huge white canines romped around in their newfound freedom.

After everyone had regrouped outside the train station, there was some slight confusion as to how Finny was going to direct everyone through the city without getting separated. In the end it was decided that all the members of Fairy Tail were to watch their partners and make sure they didn't get lost.

On the way through the Yzar, Natsu kept running ahead and looking at things that they didn't have in Magnolia. Fish unique to the sea-side cities, pelts and horns of sea creatures brought down by other guilds, huge conch shells big enough to house in, food unlike anything seen in the mainland or coast near to Magnolia in brightly colored street carts, walkways cobbled together from sea-worn stones and spiraling shells…. There was so much to look at.

One thing Natsu _didn't _see, was the marker-mustache on his upper lip, still there from Shredder's little escapade on the train.

Lucy opened her mouth to say something when she noticed, but a hysterically giggling Gray shushed her, tears in his eyes from silent laughter. Shredder too was nearly incapacitated with mirth, and even the exhausted Wish had a smirk on his face. Every time Natsu asked them what was up, they laughed harder still, and shook their heads as the young dragon slayer stared at them in confusion.

Three hours into the trip, Gray and Shredder had calmed down, and Natsu was still unaware of his mustache. They were nearly at the city limits by now, the trip having taken much longer than it should have, seeing as they had to make a detour to find Bixlow, who happened to be watching a scantily clad dancing girl on a street corner.

Lucy, who could stand it no longer, grabbed Natsu's arm.

"Natsu," she said firmly, "Look at your reflection." She held up the tiny mirror in her make-up compact for him.

"Whoa!" He cried, "I grew a mustache overnight!" This sent Shredder into fits of laughter, and Gray face-palmed.

"No, Shredder drew on your face during the train ride." Lucy explained patiently.

"Aw, man…." Natsu looked severely disappointed.

"Here," Lucy handed her teammate a white handkerchief which she pulled out of the pouch she kept her keys in, "Wash off."

"Won't it stain?" The salmon-haired boy queried, looking at the delicately pink-embroidered hanky.

"No, but if it does, I can spot-bleach it. That is the beauty of white cloth."

"Oh, okay then." Natsu scrubbed his face free of ink, folded the cloth, and handed it gently back to Lucy. "Thanks." He turned to glare at Gray, who was obviously trying too hard to keep a straight face, and Shredder, who wasn't even trying and was still giggling insanely. Wish was staring off into space.

"There's the city limits! From here it's about two hours walk, make sure you keep up." Finny called over the din of the city.

…..

"'It's too hot' she says." Hologium announced while plodding through sand, Lucy contained in the glass portion of the clock.

"Tell me about it," Gray panted, already having stripped down to his boxers.

"I love it!" Natsu howled. Finny and Wish seemed unbothered by the hundred degree weather, Shredder had taken off his hoodie to reveal an equally dark shirt that clung to his ribs in the heat, and Kiba had simply put the hood of his white parka up to shield his eyes. Kova and Kazin, like Natsu, reveled in the warmth.

"Well, this _is _a strip of desert, Lucy. But don't worry, we're almost there. It'll be cooler at the guild, we're right on the beach." Finny told the celestial mage with an understanding smile.

"Screw this!" Gray suddenly cried, slamming his fist into his open hand, "Ice Make… cart!" A pale blue cart suddenly appeared. Gray tossed his bag and clothes in, hopped inside, grabbed Natsu by the neck and hooked his rival to the harness in place of a horse. "Mush, Natsu! Mush!"

"Huh?"

"GO."

"Wait, why would I do that for you?" Nastu asked in utter confusion.

"Lucy, get in!" Gray commanded.

"'With pleasure' she says." Lucy climbed out of the clock man, closed his gate, and jumped in next to Gray. "It's so nice and cool…" she sighed, sprawling on the frosted floor.

"Now will you go?" Gray asked pointedly. Natsu looked at Lucy, panting slightly in the heat as she stretched out on the ice.

With a sigh, Natsu began to pull the cart.

…

"Alright, here we are." Finny called out, her voice a bit hoarse from all the yelling she had done that day. Night was beginning to fall by now, the crimson sun reflecting off distant water.

Lucy gaped at the structure before her. It was huge, made of stone, black marbled on one half, white marbled on the other. Enormous ashen doors hung in the center. Four spires prodded the starts themselves, two white, two black. A banner hung from the top of each spire, a black flag emblazoned with the guild symbol.

"Welcome to Midnight Sun, Fairies!" Shredder grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm getting a little depressed here. I'm getting feedback from a select few people (whom I love). I may be being conceited here, but I would hope that more than three or four people read my stuff…. Please review, I hope you enjoy :) **

Description

Finny led the rest of the group in through the huge double doors, explaining things as she went, acting as something like a tour guide.

"Because our guild doesn't belong to any town, we're considered a mercenary guild, even though we don't take assassination jobs or anything like that. Most of the members live right here in the guild, which is the reason for the size of the building…."

They entered into a cavernous room full of tables and benches. A buffet type of table was laid out against one wall, a bar took up another, and a gigantic fire place took up most of the wall on the left. Two sweeping staircases, one white, and one black, spiraled upward into the gloom of the ceiling on either side of the hearth.

Nearly all the tables were occupied with guild members of Midnight Sun, eating, drinking, talking, some changing bandages on wounds.

"Finny," Kazin whispered, "Can we go?" He was shifting impatiently. Finny smiled and gave her approval, at which time the little blonde boy bolted off and catapulted himself into the arms of a woman in a red sweater, chattering rapidly to her. Kova shot off in the opposite direction, halting in front of a pair of pretty, dark skinned girls and engaging conversation.

"I'm going to point out the people who will probably be coming with us into the Dollhouse, or will be in the strategizing room," Finny told the Fairy Tail crew, "Over with Kazin are his parents, Allen the sharpshooter and Eileen of the dreaming books. They won't be with us at the Dollhouse, but you should know them by name at least. Kova is with Dune and Jade, they won't be coming either. Their brother, Zash, will be though."

Finny indicated a tall boy of perhaps sixteen, with dark skin, navy blue hair, and equally dark eyes. He wore no shirt, only a pair of loose, linen bottoms that cinched up around his mid-shin, the sandals that covered his feet almost worn out on the bottom. He was currently engaged in what seemed to be a heated debate with a man sporting a pair of hook swords.

"Over there are Beyah, a strength user, Arriss, an item user, and Evanin, a rune user. All three are coming with us. They form the team Compass Rose."

A short inspection of the three women revealed one thing. They were desperate for a man of any kind. The one indicated as Beyah had tanned skin which she revealed in copious amounts from beneath black clothes. She currently sat at the bar, making out rather tactlessly with a thin man with black hair. Finny hissed in disgust at the sight, and then smirked as an annoyed looking woman walked by and dumped their drink on the pair.

Evanin too had tanned skin and dark hair. She sat between Beyah and Arriss, mug in hand, her short skirt exposing more than necessary and attracting looks she seemed to enjoy.

The third woman, Arriss, had pale skin, coppery hair and oddly colored eyes. She wore a black pair of leather high-waters, black lace up boots, and a black cut-off top that exposed her stomach. Shedder walked silently over to her and started up conversation.

"He lllllikes her." Happy trilled, extending the 'l'.

"Pffft!" Finny choked on her laughter, "What? Ha, yeah right cat! Arris Jax is Shredder's _cousin_!"

"Huh?" Now that Lucy looked it was fairly obvious. Shared hair color, similar strange eyes, preference in dressing color….

"Okay, moving on. Over there are Kuma, Aria and Melody, they form the team Cleft Twain."

"Weird name," Natsu commented, and Gray agreed.

"The man in armor is Kuma, a requipist." The man Finny pointed out was tall, clad in burnished armor obviously well kept. A broadsword lay sheathed beside him as he talked with his companions over dinner and cards.

"The girl on the left is Aria, she influences sound with her magic, most often her harp." Aria was excessively pale, nearly translucent, with sapphire eyes to match her dress, and hair of spun gold. At her hip was a small harp clipped to a pouch. "On the right is Melody, who uses the same magic to a different degree, using only her voice." Melody had dark skin, black eyes, and brown hair shot through with gold. Her garb was of a sunset orange.

"That's Vex, he uses and enchanted game controller." The man was short, with curly black hair and a somehow blank and antisocial stare. The list continued: Zadok, an earth mage, Beamer who used lightning, Tallon who transformed his body with take over magic, Meres who compressed air or expanded to her will, Ithiel who utilized light refraction to make himself invisible to others, Breezus who manipulated wind…

"Who's that?" Gajeel asked, pointing to a girl with black hair nearly down to her waist, sitting at the far end of the bar away from everyone else.

"That's Azriel, Galice's sister. She's taking his… abduction kind of hard. They're partners, Galice the brain and compassion, Azriel the merciless brawn."

"Hey, I found him! Jair!" Kiba yelled across the room. Lucy hadn't even noticed the lupine man was looking for someone.

A man with flaming vermillion hair looked around, and upon spotting Kiba, grinned widely, a halberd taller than he was sheathed over one shoulder.

He was wearing a sleeveless top, the neckline hidden by a tattered sky blue scarf. A second piece of material was tied almost sash-like at his waist, colored an alien shade of shimmering black above gray pants. His eyes were so blue they were almost white, and a pair of what looked like cycling goggles rested on his forehead, in easy reach to be placed over his eyes.

"Jair is usually used as an envoy due to the fact that he has a motorcycle and a near limitless store of magical energy. He could be in Magnolia in less than half an hour if he really tried."

"He stands in for the Masters when they're not around. Just formalities and paperwork and stuff." Wish put in.

"They offered the position to me, but I don't really _do_ paperwork." Finny added to Wish's comment. Wish gave a mild smirk at this, but didn't say anything.

"Sorry, I was so involved with my omelet I didn't notice you guys come in!" Jair laughed sheepishly.

"Jair, what's the story? I don't see the master's anywhere. Are they upstairs?" Wish asked him, his tone a bit too casual to pass as normal.

"What, you worried about Shade?" Jair asked, winking suggestively.

"Wha- no! I mean, that's- That is to say… oh never mind!" The time mage huffed in a most flustered manner, unable to get look away fast enough. Everyone saw the color creeping into his cheeks. Finny muffled a snort behind her hand before turning back to Jair.

"No, but really, where are they?"

"Ah, about that…" the red-head began, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, "They're not back yet."

"What? But… they should have gotten back before we did! You don't think… they were taken?" Finny gasped in shocked fear- not for herself, but for her masters.

"I wonder what kind of men their masters are?" Elfman muttered to Lisanna. His younger sister shrugged and continued to listen to Jair.

"No, no I don't, but some people are starting to get antsy, and I'm not sure that I can keep them-"

The double doors suddenly slammed open, and the fire in the grate (which Natsu had been staring at hungrily, Lucy gripping his wrist to keep him from eating it) illuminated two figures… conspicuously short figures that couldn't have been more than five foot six at the most. Not that height meant much to the Fairies….

"Master Shade! Master Shine!" The roar rebounded in the huge stone chamber with the force of a bomb as the pair stepped in. Elfman's jaw dropped.

"Wait… Shade and Shine are _women_?"

"Something _wrong _with that?" Mirajane asked delicately balanced between mild anger and politeness.

"Er, of course not Mira-nee, women are just as manly as men." Elfman corrected.

The two women standing in the doorway were drastically different, and Lucy could guess which was which.

The one on the left, almost positively Shade, had pale skin, wide, almond shaped dark eyes, dark brown hair cut almost pixie-style, shorter in the back than in the front with the chin-length bangs parted around her face. She was dressed in a black top that was oddly styled. The collar ended just below her chin, hugging her skin, and was studded with silver at the hem. The short sleeves were also studded, as was the end of the shirt that stopped at the bottom of her rib cage. She wore black fingerless gloves, a skull pin on one side of her hair, a black skirt with a studded belt and thigh-length black boots with steel toes. In her hand she clutched a black-shafted spear that was utterly warped in the iron head, nicks showing everywhere and giving the weapon a wicked appearance.

The one on the right, Shine, had dark skin, black irises that gave the impression she could see _through _you, and long black hair that was left loose. Her hair was slightly wavy and was parted a bit to the side in a curtain that partially covered her heart-shaped face. She was clad in a white scarf beaded with color-shifting adornments, over a pale gray long sleeve sweater. Her white high-waters were scuffed at the knees, and her lower legs were garbed in striped socks that alternated purple and gray-blue. Her feet were covered by sleek black slippers adorned with a bow on the toe of each. She held a white bow in her hand, a white quiver on her back, filled with silver-shafted, silver-fletched arrows.

Lucy almost immediately noticed how young they were… she gauged them to be about nineteen, maybe twenty… she knew Master Makarov had not been appointed master until his mid forties.

Lucy also noticed Wish's instant relief at their return.

"Hey guys!" Shine-probably shouted at the top of her lungs, "Shut up, we have something to tell you!" Lucy was shocked that such a delicate looking woman possessed such a set of lungs. The guild quieted.

"We brought everyone a surprise~" Most-likely-Shade sang happily, "You'll never _guess _what it is."

"Um, Shade-dono, Shine-dono," a slightly muffed male voice said from somewhere behind them, "May I come out now? It's rather difficult to hide behind you due to our great differences in height, so-"

"Galice! You ruined the surprise!" The two girls cried in unison, crossing their arms and turning as a young man unfolded himself from behind them.

He was tall, pale, with silver hair nearly to his waist but kept neat and away from his face. His gray robe brushed the ground and the silver quarterstaff in his hand glinted at the top, firelight shining off a smoky gray jewel embedded in the tip.

"Galice?" The cry rebounded around the room.

"How'd you get back?"

"I thought you were trapped in the Dollhouse!"

"We're you used as a doll or just kept locked up?"

Questions flew back and forth. Shade looked disgruntled, and Shine, catching onto her partner's mood, opened her mouth to give another shout. However, the guild silenced before she did. Azriel, clad in her black armor, broadsword swinging from her hip, was stalking across the room, tears in her eyes.

She stopped right in front of Galice and stared up at him. He was a full head taller than she and obviously the older of the two.

"Azriel-"

SLAP.

The sound of flesh on flesh reverberated through the dining hall.

"Do you know how _worried_ I was? Did you even _think _what might happen if I lost you?" She hissed.

"Azriel, I-" Galice began.

"Don't. Say. A. Word." His younger sister snarled, turning around to try and hide the fact that she was rubbing tears off her face hastily, "I don't want to talk to you."

"Um…."

"Well that was…. Awkward." Shade voiced a bit nervously.

"Uh, yeah…. Ooh! Fairies!" Shine cried, "I call an emergency strategy meeting in the Gray Room! Fairies, Finny, Wish, Shredder, Galice, Jair, Ithiel, Kova, Kazin, upstairs, we have work!"

"Onee-chan!" Kova and Kazin cried in unison, flinging themselves at Shade.

"Wait, _what_?" Natsu was supremely confused. "They look _nothing _like each her!"

"Oh forget it and just start climbing stairs," Lucy told him, gazing up the sweeping staircases, "Cause it looks like there are a lot of them."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hellllooooo again, things are really going to start heating up here, and we get our first look at little Lacie right here at the beginning. Please review, hope you like it!**

Preparation to Enter

"Sleep, little pigeon,  
>And fold your wings,<br>Little blue pigeon  
>With velvet eyes;"<p>

(_glass eyes, her eyes were made of glass, not velvet)_

"Sleep to the singing  
>Of mother-bird swinging<br>Swinging the nest  
>Where her little one lies."<p>

(_Lies, all lies...)_

"Away out yonder  
>I see a star,<br>Silvery star  
>With a tinkling song;<br>To the soft dew falling  
>I hear it calling<br>Calling and tinkling  
>The night along."<p>

_(I never heard dew down there, only smelt mildew; I never saw stars unless she hit me that hard)_

"In through the window  
>A moonbeam comes,<br>Little gold moonbeam  
>With misty wings;"<p>

_(Windows? No such thing where we had been... only darkness, all enveloping darkness that bred chaos, which bred hate, which bred death, which bred rot, and rot bred... what? Maggots? ) _

"All silently creeping,  
>It asks; "Is she sleeping<br>Sleeping and dreaming  
>While mother sings?"...<p>

_(Mother never sang to me, never, never, never.) _

"But sleep, little pigeon,  
>And fold your wings,<br>Little blue pigeon  
>With mournful eyes;<br>Am I not singing? -  
>See, I am swinging -<br>Swinging the nest  
>Where my darling lies."<p>

_(Lies? Yes... all lies. They were all liars. The people of Fiore who ignored her plight, the mages of Fairy Tail who grew her hopes to such extent it led to her metaphorical death and resurrection, all of them... but one good thing came of it all. The creation of Minnie.)_

"Are you sleeping now, Lacie?" the singing voice asked gently, "If not I can sing another lullaby."

"Sing again, Minnie. I'm sad. Your voice makes me happy."

"Of course Lacie. I knew without having to ask, for I am you, and you are me. I know your thoughts and your dreams. Ask anything Lacie. As your doll, I exist to make you happy..." Minnie sighed lovingly.

"Just sing for me..." Lacie buried her head in her pile of pillows to hide her tears, "Just one more song."

"Anything," Minnie told her, and Lacie could feel she meant it. Minnie began to sing again, softer this time.

"The snow falling down.

While you sing a quiet lullaby, I catch a fleeting glimpse of your profile.

I'm trapped in a small room, I love you while my spirit calls out to you…

Words are needless, lost memories softened peacefully, but how strange. . .

First there in that close place where I only just slept.

Close beside you.

The snow falling down.

A soft lullaby.

In the gentle night I bury my face in my hands.

I don't want to know sorrowful experience, therefore let the singing stay as

it is,

As it is until this dawn….."

Minnie's voice echoed in the imagined chamber of Lacie's creation, resounding peacefully. Lacie loved Minnie. Minnie loved Lacie.

And Lacie slept, and Lacie dreampt….

And her dreams were made reality in the most twisted of ways.

….

"Alright people!" Shade shouted across the huge ironwood table, slapping her hands down so hard her cup of soda jumped, the straw nearly popping out of the glass, "Here's the plan! …. Okay, so there's no plan. We kinda just figured we'd run in and hope things worked."

"Can I have some of that?" Wish asked unconcernedly pointing at the cup of soda from Shade's left. Shade looked at the cup and shrugged, passing it to Wish.

"Wait, so, we're really going in without _any _pointers? No strategy? Nothing?" Gray asked in surprise.

"Don't you and your team do that all the time?" Fried asked him with raised eyebrows. Bixlow laughed and agreed. Gray sighed, but said nothing.

"Yep, no plans. Plans won't help there." Shine told the group, looking down the long rectangular table at the team they had put together, "Plans fall apart. In that house…. Insanity rules. Time holds no meaning, nor does space…"

"And they basically threw conservation of mass out the window." Shade finished, tugging her drink away from Wish and taking a sip to find her glass half empty. She gave it a dismayed look.

"No plan works for me!" Gajeel put in, "There's no point to planning anyways."

"If you're a man, you don't make strategies, you go off pure strength!"

"Juvia thinks no plan is a bad plan."

"Can I light the place on fire?"

"I can't set rune traps if I don't have advanced warning…"

"As long as there are people to sharpen my knives on, I'm fine with that."

"Can I go to sleep?"

"My babies and I run off insanity, so this Dollhouse should be _fun_!"

"Alright, alright, quiet down." Shine complained.

"I lied when I said no plan. We have one, but it sucks." Shade sighed.

"Oh?" Levy queried.

"Use Ithiel to make those who need advanced preparation invisible, and then run in recklessly." The two masters said together.

The whole table, excluding Shredder and Wish, stared.

"Well, this concludes our strategy meeting, we leave for the Dollhouse tomorrow!" Shine said cheerfully, standing up, Shade starting to walk toward the door, "Fairies, Shade and I would like to see you in our common room. Ciao!" The pair left.

"So… that's it?" Lucy asked into the silence.

"We're screwed." Came Gray's muffled reply.

…..

"I swear, the masters aren't usually that flakey!" said Finny as she led the Fairy Tail team up yet _more _stairs. ("_How many floors does this place _have?" _yelled Bixlow at one point_) "Shine is adopted, but really, those two are so alike it's almost believable that they're twins. Internally. Or something like that."

"Actually… they usually _are _that flake- whoa." Wish muttered, ducking a slap from Finny. Shredder giggled insanely from her other side.

"No really, if they don't have a plan, it must be really bad in there. Worse than when Wish and I went in. You may be able to run a team planless, but not a whole guild. Seriously, I think half out guild would be dead by now if not for Galice."

"Ano, Finny-san? Is Galice-san a Sky magic user too?" Wendy asked softly.

"Huh? No. He does use healing magic, but it's not as fast as yours. He can speed up healing, but not close wounds immediately like you." The blonde woman suddenly halted in front of another set of double doors, one white and one black. "This is the entrance to the masters' rooms. Wish, Shredder and I will be staying out here….."

"Why?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Er… you'll see. Go in." Finny told them, opening one of the doors.

Lucy's jaw dropped.

"….. Not exactly neat freaks, are they?" Gray mumbled stepping over a pile of books to get in to the room. The place had white marble tiling on the floor and several floor to ceiling black bookshelves filled with, obviously, books, as well as odd knickknacks and crystal bookends.

There were two armchairs, a table, two flights of stairs which Lucy supposed led to the bedrooms of the two masters, and easel with a half-finished painting, a pack of colored pencils scattered across the tile, a grand piano with sheet music scattered around, a glass-front cupboard full of weapons, what looked like a sewing corner, and odd, a small pile of plushies in the far corner. A black and white cat with a red collar slept atop one of the bookshelves with the occasional throaty purr.

The plushies were black, patched, and looked slightly evil, but cute. Cute in the way an albino mouse is cute even though you don't really want one in your kitchen, staring at you with those red eyes….

Lucy gaped, and Levy came up beside her with the same look. They exchanged glances and then screamed with delight as they looked at all the books.

"I love this place!"

"Hm, glad you like it…" Shade yawned, coming down the black stairs dressed in black silk pajamas that consisted of pants and a button down shirt.

"Yeah, hope it isn't obnoxiously messy." Shine called from the top of the white stairs dressed in pajama's of the same design but opposite color of Shade's.

"It looks a bit like Levy's house." Gajeel commented, eyeing the mountains of shelfless reading material: comic books, manga, graphic novels on one side, horror, romance, mystery and sci-fi on another and a mixture of genres on the last shelf.

"So why are we here exactly? I thought the meeting took care of everything." Fried queried, glancing at Shade and then Shine as they converged in the center of the room.

"Ah, you're here for a sort of…. Debriefing." Shade said.

"A kind of introduction to the Dollhouse before your arrival." Shine added. Shade glanced around, fumbled inside her pockets, and then looked slightly disappointed.

"Where'd the map go? Aw, I left it upstairs…." Shade sighed and then put her fingers to her mouth, whistling loudly. The pounding of heavy paws thudded down the black stairs and Lucy involuntarily drew closer to Natsu. From the sound, some sort of behemoth animal was charging into the room.

A huge German Shepherd halted at Shade's feet. He was a large specimen with beautiful coloring. Black saddleback markings along his spine and ribs, black ears and muzzle, black tipped tail and black diamond on his forehead were surrounded by varying shades of russet red and red-gold. He wore a collar to match the cat.

In his mouth he carried a tightly rolled piece of paper sealed with wax.

"Good boy, Rave!" Shade praised as he put the now slightly damp map in her hand. The dog woofed and then went to lay by the black arm chair. Shade flipped the map open with one hand and spread it on the table with the other. Along the top was written 'Dollhouse'.

"Okay," Shine started, "There are three things you need to know."

"One!" Shade cried, startling everyone with her sudden loudness, "Fighting civilians leads nowhere! The whole dollhouse is like… like…."

"And octopus." Shine offered.

"Yeah, an octopus! If you cut of the arms, they grow back! You have to aim for the head! Fighting Lacie's soldiers is like that! So aim for Lacie!"

"Um, what does Lacie look like?" Natsu asked.

"No clue." Shine told them, "Moving on. Two! Nothing makes sense in that house! Don't rely on your eyes, or sense of touch or hearing."

"That only leaves us with smell and taste!" Bixlow complained.

"Three! If you're trapped in a room with a puzzle in it, _think like a child_. After Our last visit to the Dollhouse we came to the conclusion that Lacie is younger than we thought." Shade said grimly.

"What do you mean? Juvia does not understand." Juvia told the pair.

"We mean what we say, we say what we mean. It seems Lacie is only half the age we originally thought. Seven at the youngest, ten at the oldest." Shine said.

"We heard her voice, Wish saw her. He didn't get a good look though, here's all I could tell from his description." Shade pulled out a sketchbook and flipped a few pages before showing it to the guild members in the room.

The figure of a very young girl with peacock green hair, faceless in the picture, but pale, clutching a doll tightly to her chest, which was covered in a purple dress.

"We leave tomorrow, midday. Be sure to be ready by then. Dimissed!" The masters said in unison. As they were leaving Lucy heard Kazin's voice echo up the stairs.

"Shine onee-chan, Shade onee-chan, do you want any candy? I bought some!"

"No thanks Kazin!" The girls called in unison before shutting the door.

"I can't _wait _for that fight! Oooh, I'm getting all fired up!" Natsu cried excitedly, sparks flying from his mouth.

"All I can say is stay out of my way you squinty-eyed bastard!" Gray called with a fierce grin, ice crystals forming in the air around him.

"Same goes to you, droopy-eyes!"

"All I can say is… don't die." Lucy told the pair of them, worry in her eyes.

Her only answer was their bright, determined smiles, along with a blast of mingling hot and cold air. 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hay guys! I've noticed a lot of people adding my story to favorites, but a recent decline in reviews…? Please review, but if it's too much trouble you don't have too. :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

The Onset of Destruction

No one noticed Lucy's shudder in the crowd as the group of mages milled around within looking distance of the Dollhouse. The small shiver could have been caused by the large amount of cold air flowing around Gray in his anticipation, but Lucy didn't think so due to the super-heated updrafts blowing from her other side, due to Natsu. The hot, rising air ruffled her skirt in the most alarming of ways, and the celestial mage was forced to hold it down.

If Natsu wasn't so stupid, Lucy might have thought he was trying to pull her skirt up on purpose, but…. No. Natsu was way too thick to try a ploy like that for personal enjoyment.

The scenery around them was reason enough tremble. Dead grass as far as they eye could see, dead trees full of crows preparing to feast on the dead animals and people left in the grass around the Dollhouse…. But in a ten foot circle _around _the Dollhouse, the grass was green, the trees lush and full of songbirds instead of crows.

A pink painted house with colored-glass windows and cute flowerbeds, it looked… too perfect. Too perfect in the way a plastic dollhouse would look.

For some reason that thought scared Lucy.

Badly.

….

"Okay people," Shine shouted over the thirty-eight person throng. Including Happy, Charle, Shade and Shine, there were forty people in total. "We're going to enter now. There won't be any guards because it seems Lacie enjoys toying with people who wander into her dollhouse."

"Once we get in we'll figure out what to do, 'cause the interior of the Dollhouse changes… a lot." Shade said, a bit uneasily, "The entry hall and the front door stay where they are as long as you're inside. Upon exiting, even those two constant factors remove themselves."

"Wendy, Charle, Kova, Kazin, and Galice, stay outside." Shine commanded.

"But nee-chan!" the two boys protested in unison.

"But Shine-san, what if someone needs on the spot treatment…!" Wendy asked with slight panic.

"I cannot comply with that order, Shine-dono." Galice said firmly.

After much arguing it was decided that everyone was to go in, those who were severely injured to be brought out later. Not the wisest decision, but the only one that could be found in compromise.

Upon entering the perfect building, Lucy had to stifle a scream of shock. Other sounds of surprise echoed from the Fairies as they too saw what was going on.

The floor remained stable, but as the group walked, the walls and ceiling warped, changing texture and size until they stood in a huge stone entry chamber like one expected to see in a castle. Lining the walls were masks with bleeding black eye sockets and bloody grins with pointed teeth.

Lucy felt Natsu twitch with disgust beside her, his arm brushing hers in his movement.

The mages continued their walk, ignoring the gruesome decorations as they went. They then entered the next room which looked completely different from the room before.

Black walls, ceiling and floor, twenty black doors, all with a candelabra on each side, with black candles that gave off blue flames.

"Twenty doors? There's forty of us. Pair up everyone." Shade called, "I got dibs on Shine by the way."

"I want Kova!" Kazin yelped, "Since Shade-nee and Shine-nee were already taken."

"Me and Wish are a team!" Shredder crowed.

"I'll go with Elfman." Mira announced.

"I got Fried in case anyone wanted to know." Bixlow told everyone.

"Juvia will pair up with Canna."

The final team pairs were as the follows: Gajeel-Levy, Elfman-Mirajane, Wendy-Charle, Canna-Juvia, Fried-Bixlow, Gray-Alzack, Natsu-Happy, Shade-Shine, Shredder-Wish, Kova-Kazin, Galice-Azriel, Breezus-Meres, Aria-Melody, Kuma-Kiba, Zash-Vex, Zadok-Tallon, Ithiel-Beamer, Arris-Evanin, and, most unfortunately, Finny-Beyah and Lucy-Lisanna.

Not that Lucy had anything against Lisanna, but she had a little bit of…. Okay, a _lot _of jealousy toward her concerning Natsu.

As far as Finny and Beyah went… no one really knew why they hated each other, no one asked, it was just the way things went.

"Everyone pick a door." Shine cried.

Once everyone had a door, they entered with their partner.

"Let the games begin." Lacie whispered from the shadows.

But no one hear her. No one ever did.

….

"This is… interesting." Gray murmured, Alzack at his side as they wandered through their door. From a huge black room to a small closet-like space with mirrors all around.

Alzack made no reply; he seemed to be in a slight panic. They came to the end of the mirror room to see a dead end, with a tiny music box sitting on a glass pedestal. Looking in the mirror above the music box, Gray had to stifle a cry. For an instant he thought he saw a young girl with peacock green hair grinning at him from beside Alzack. He blinked, and the figure was gone.

"Don't open the box." Alzack whispered hoarsely.

"Why not? It's too small to hold anything dangerous."

"Just don't, this place isn't _right, _the rules of outside don't apply here!" Alzack's voice had risen from his whisper to a franctic speaking tone now. "Things happen in this place that are enough to drive a person mad! Bisca was-" He stopped short.

"What?" Gray asked, no longer looking at the music box, instead looking at Alzack. However, when the box began to tinkle its little tune, he looked back in horror, feeling something cold and wet gushing over his bare toes.

"_Mother heard her Children scream,  
>So she threw them in the stream,<br>Saying, as she drowned the third,  
>'Children should be seen, <em>_not__ heard!_'"

The voice of a young girl gurgled up through vast amounts of water that were rushing out of the box, the mirrors were becoming doors that swung open and released torrents of murky stream water dark with tannin, a small hand as pale as a fishes belly clutched at Gray's wrist from inside the music box before he batted it away…

The room would fill up in seconds, and Gray lost sight of Alzack. Focusing on his own survival, Gray formed a shell of ice around himself and then pushed the water out with more ice crystals, sealing himself in a water tight bubble. Limited air, yes, but air none the less.

After a while, Gray felt his ice shell tap the floor, and cracking it open slightly, he found the room to be damp, but no longer flooded.

No sign of Alzack.

Gray cursed under his breath.

Being separated in a place like this could mean something worse than death.

…..

"Which ones should we invite to tea?" Minnie asked softly from behind Lacie.

"The blonde, the one with the white-haired girl… that woman with long green hair…. And the dark skinned woman in the gray sweater! Then we can hold a proper tea party, and play dolls together, and…. And…" Lacie trailed off.

"What is it?" Minnie murmured in concern.

"That boy… he didn't drown when the music box opened."

"His name is Gray Fullbuster, ice mage, age eighteen, trained by ice mage Ul. He holds a grudge against Deliora, has strong ties to Erza Scarlet." Minne said crisply reporting her knowledge in her piping voice. She knew everything that went on in her dollhouse, and knew everyone who set foot in it better than they knew themselves.

Minnie could peer into thoughts people shoved to the back of their mind or the bottom of their hearts, and she could dredge up emotions people didn't realize they contained.

"He knows Erza-kun? He knows her well?"

"Yes, as does Lucy Heartphilia, Natsu Dragneel."

"He knows Erza-kun. He'll try to take her away!" Tears welled in Lacie's eyes, "Erza-kun and I were having fun! I want to play more!"

"Why don't we send Scarlet-san to meet Gray Fullbuster? After incapacitating him of course. Shall I set memory bonds on him?" Minnie's voice was grim, but her eyes showed the same vague glee drug addicts derive from taking their various substances.

"Yes. I want to keep playing with Erza-kun. And if killing Fullbuster-san is the only way, then I'll kill him a thousand times over." Lacie looked at Minnie. "I don't want to be lonely anymore."

"You won't ever be lonely again as long as long as I'm here, Lacie. I promise."

….

Gray halted, feeling a bit strange. On one hand, he could see the stone-flagged floor and gray walls of the room his was in, but on the other, images that he thought he had drowned out long ago were dredging themselves up to waver before his eyes.

Heat singed his face, and he felt small. Looking at his hands he saw the hands of a child, smeared with soot and blood, and suddenly he had the sensation of diving, falling through the floor…..

_"Jaylek!" he screamed above the roar of flame, the roar of Deliora, the roar of death itself, "Jaylek, where are you?"_

_ He couldn't find Mama, he couldn't find Papa, his house was burning, and Jaylek, gentle trusting Jaylek was trapped inside._

_ Gray shoved a flaming hunk of wood out of the way, ignoring his burns and scrambling up the piled debris. His brother, little Jaylek, was lost somewhere in the burning mess, but where, where?_

_ "Gray-nii!" A thin reedy voice barely rose above the screams of the dying, "Gray-nii, I'm scared! Where did everyone go?"_

_ "Jaylek!" Gray could have cried with relief. "Jaylek, follow my voice and come out!"_

_ "Where is your voice, Gray-nii? It's so loud, and I'm scared… Marnell isn't moving!" Marnell was their tabby cat, but she didn't matter now. Jaylek had to get out, the house was going to collapse at any moment._

_ "Leave her!" Gray yelled, "Come on!"Gray suddenly saw a bobbing head of sunset-red hair bobbing as the small child clambered fearfully over broken bits of their old lives. "Come on!" Gray shouted again with renewed hope. Deliora shrieked in the distance, mad with its bloodlust._

_ "Gray-nii!" Jaylek looked so happy in that moment, and that was how Gray remembered him. Soot-smeared but grinning, his dark eyes shining red in the firelight, his yellow turtleneck sweater nearly reaching his knees and almost covering his blue shorts. The medallion Jayleck had gotten from their mother swung forward and gleamed crimson._

_ "Grab my hand!" Gray commanded. Jaylek leaned forward, unable to dismount the huge rubble tower on his own, stretched forward, their fingertips brushed…_

_ And the building collapsed upon the tiny four year old child._

_ Gray stared in shock, complete and utter shock. Jaylek, who trusted Gray and hero-worshipped him, Jaylek who came home bloodied or bruised and told Gray not to beat up the mean boys because that would be bad, Jaylek who used to make paper boats and sail them in the pond with his big brother, because to him Gray was the coolest thing in the town, in the country, in the world._

_ Gray didn't say a word, he simply dived forward and gripped the now unmoving fingers beneath a wooden spar. He tried to move the hot wood, but it didn't budge. Using curse words that had never passed his lips before, he pushed harder, harder…._

_ A hand fell on his shoulder._

_ "Papa! Jaylek, you have to get him out, he-"_

_ "Gray! Listen to me! I'll get Jaylek, you go find your mother!"_

_ Gray nodded up at what people said was his 'mirror-image in twenty years', whatever that meant tot adults. He took one last look at Jaylek before his father moved in and began moving wooden beams, and then ran to find his mom._

_ He scurried between fleeing people, searching, searching…._

_ And suddenly Deliora was there, _right there, _its huge hand swinging down to destroy him- and Mama pushed him out of the way, was pierced with vicious claws, and died, right there in front of him. She had a small smile on her face, meant for him, her short red hair falling over blank eyes._

_ "Mama! Mama! Mama, wake up!" Gray cried until he had no tears, and sat by his mother for what could have been an eternity. By the time he had strength enough to move, it was morning, the fires burned out, the people gone, Deliora vanished to new horizons._

_ Gray stood up, seeking his father and Jaylek. He returned to where he left them to see his father holding Jaylek's charred corpse in his arms._

_ "Papa…" Gray's voice was hoarse with smoke inhalation, "Papa…." He touched the man's shoulder. Cold._

_ Dead._

_ The hollow eyes stared forevermore at his son's blackened face, dead together, one forever._

_ They were all together. Mama, Papa and Jaylek._

_ Why was he the only one left?_

_ Gray screamed. _

_ He screamed and he screamed and he screamed and he screamed….._

…

_ "Jaylek!" he screamed above the roar of flame, the roar of Deliora, the roar of death itself, "Jaylek, where are you?"_

_ He couldn't find Mama, he couldn't find Papa, his house was burning, and Jaylek, gentle trusting Jaylek was trapped inside._

_ Gray shoved a flaming hunk of wood out of the way, ignoring his burns and scrambling up the piled debris. His brother, little Jaylek, was lost somew-_

…..

Erza stepped into the stone-flagged room, he armored boots clanking loudly on the floor. But Gray wouldn't hear, he was too deeply immersed in his ever-repeating memories. He knelt on the floor, head down, lips moving soundlessly.

Erza unsheathe her blade and placed it on the back of Gray's neck where he sat like a man prepared for execution.

After all, she couldn't afford to miss the killing stroke.

She tried to kill painlessly on principle.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Um… are only two people reading this story? To the two or three of you who reviewed, thanks a ton! I hope you honestly like this story **

Natsu's Delusion and Gray's Victory

A cry most likely inaudible to everyone else rang in Natsu's ears. He turned slightly to the right, wary.

"That sounded like Gray."

"Aye." Happy agreed nervously, fluttering around Natsu's head and landing on the dragon slayer's shoulder. "Should we go look?"

Natsu thought for a moment, shrugged, and moved forward.

"Gray is Gray, so he should be fine." Natsu replied.

He swung the door open to the next room and halted suddenly, reeling backward and gasping for air. The smell in the room impacted him a thousand times more powerfully than anyone else.

Blood. But not just anyone's blood, it smelled of _Lucy's _blood. Natsu stood still for a moment before a scream from inside wakened him from his trance. He barreled into the room, bellowing furiously. If _anyone _so much as _scraped _Lucy he would _rip off their head._

Gajeel didn't count, that was different, but still…. Had Natsu encountered the fellow dragon slayer after that ordeal without time to cool down, Gajeel would have been reduced to a pile of molten _slag_.

In the farthest corner of the wood floored chamber he saw Lucy, cowering against the wall, blood streaming down her face where gouges and burn marks mingled freely. In front of her was a tall figure that was hidden in shadows.

"Leave her alone!" Natsu snarled, rushing forward and plunging his fist into the opponents' kidneys. However, the blow met resistance as hard as stone, and the figure turned.

Pink spiked hair, onyx eyes, a steel-gray scarf, a wicked, battle hungry grin….

Natsu now faced himself.

…..

"Where are we?" Lucy asked timidly, walking close beside Lisanna.

"Um…. I…. don't know?" The two girls exchanged worried glances.

"That's…. fantastic." Lucy moaned.

"L-Lucy…..?" Lisanna squeaked, sounding extremely perturbed.

"What?"

"W-what are…. Those?"

A low drone filled the air as strange insects started winging their way toward the two girls. Something akin to giant leeches, (Lucy _hated _leeches!) they were equipped with stingers like wasps and wings like lunar moths that dusted down venom scales with each flap of their huge wings. Each leech-wasp-moth-thing was about as long as Lucy's forearm. Lisanna screamed and backed away before she started running, Lucy remaining rooted to the spot.

"Play hide and seek, hide and seek! Maybe tag!" A small voice cheered from behind Lucy. She turned to look, and a very small child stood there.

Maybe five or six with cherub like beauty and skin as white as snow, she had short peacock green hair tied in back with a black ribbon that matched her dress.

It was the doll from Shade's sketch.

Only it didn't look like a doll, it looked like a child.

The girl reached out her small hand and pushed Lucy, harder than should have been possible, and the blonde stumbled back. Rather than striking her elbows on hard marble, or hitting her head against a roman looking pillar like the room was full of, she sank into some sort of purple light that tugged at her like quicksand.

"You're invited to the tea party. Don't be late~" The girl whispered, leaning down and kissing Lucy's cheek before she vanished into the wall.

"Lisanna!" Lucy shrieked, "Lisanna help me!"

Her only reply was more screaming. Lisanna was furiously batting the leeches off her body. She seemed to be panicked beyond reason, and even as Lucy looked a leech filled so far that it burst, its barb withdrawing from the white-haired girl's skin even as blood sprayed the white marble.

Lucy began to sink farther.

….

"M-me?" Natsu cried. It had to be an illusion obviously, but what he had just hit felt solid enough… and Lucy was….

"Yeah." His other self smirked, "You. Aren't you the one who hurts Lucy the most?"

"Wha…. I've _never _hurt Lucy! … intentionally." Natsu added that last part as an afterthought, because sometimes he blew fire, and Lucy was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and… that didn't count though, she forgave him.

"Intentionally! Ha! I'm not talking about physically, moron."

"….You're me. You should stop calling yourself names, it's bad for your self-esteem." Real-Natsu said sagely. Happy simply looked confused out of his tiny noggin.

"Who are you talking to Natsu?" The cat asked.

"I'm talking about emotionally!" The illusion-Natsu shouted, acting as if he hadn't heard his doppelganger. "You always go to Lisanna… and every time you do, _this _is what you do to Lucy!" A clawed hand was shoved through Lucy's chest and blood spurted thickly through the air. Her heart, her _heart_….

Natsu gasped and reached for Lucy, but she vanished in a puff of smoke that stung his eyes…. Or were they perhaps tears for Lucy's sake?

He couldn't even trust himself now.

Natsu, the real Natsu, looked away and closed his eyes, turning to the door and ignoring the carnage in the corner.

"Just an illusion…. It's all…. An illusion… that's all it is, all it is…" He repeated under his breath, moving determinedly toward the door.

"Natsu's got a screw loose." Happy said to out loud.

Natsu continued muttering.

…..

Gray felt something cold on the back of his neck that didn't belong in his world of hot fire and blood. He turned, but saw nothing. The cold remained on the nape of his neck, and a finger trailed along his jaw line. He gave in involuntary cry of shock.

Suddenly he could see stone floor through the sky of his memory, and a sense of imminent danger returned to him.

The icy touch removed itself, and he heard a thin _swoosh _alerting him to the falling of what could only be a blade. Rolling away in the nick of time, he saw his reflection in a broadsword that struck sparks on the rock beneath his feet.

His eyes traveled up the blade from where he lay on his stomach and reached a label on the armor plated chest.

_Heart Kreuz _the engraving read. Only one person wore armor of that brand.

Gray looked farther up if only to confirm his fears.

Erza.

…..

Natsu staggered drunkenly through room after room, trying to shut off all sensory perceptions.

Everywhere he looked, Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.

Lying on the floor with her skull bashed in, hanging by ropes from the ceiling, slumped against the wall riddled with bullet holes, every way to die was represented in Lucy.

Suicide, poisoning, disease, accidents, assault, everything. You name it, it was there.

"An illusion," Natsu continued to whisper as he watched Lucy writhe on the ground with agony induced by a venomous snake bite, "It's not real."

"Natsu!" Lucy's voice shrieked, "Help me! Make it stop!"

Natsu walked on, not allowing the illusory woman to see his look of mental pain.

After all, it was better that the enemy not know how much her pictures hurt him.

…

Lucy was gasping for air now as she struggled not to panic. The floor was pulling her in faster now, and it seemed Lisanna had gotten caught as well. Most of the insects were dead, and the scream Lisanna gave had changed in pitch, less panic than surprise. She was farther back in the room, sinking ankles first into the floor as Lucy was pulled backward through a pillar no matter how hard she pulled against it.

The door closest to her sung open and Natsu fell in, looking terrible. Happy fluttered down beside him, worried.

"Natsu!" Lucy called with relief, her voice shaking with fear, "Help me out of here! I can't reach my keys!"

Natsu didn't even look at her, turning his face away.

"Natsu!" Lisanna cried, spotting him for the first time. The dragon slayer's head jerked up, and he reeled upright, ignoring Lucy completely. Happy looked between the two before flying over to Lucy and starting to pull on her hand with all his puny strength. Tears gathered in Lucy's eyes and she bit her lip as she watched Natsu drag Lisanna into his lap where she collapsed onto his with frightened tears.

"Lucy!" Happy squeaked, "You're crying, does it hurt? Am I hurting you?"

"It hurts Happy," She answered with a tearful smile, pulling her hand out of his paws, "But not because of you."

She sank backward into the dark oblivion that wiped her mind clean of all thoughts.

…

"Natsu, why didn't you get Lucy?" Happy shouted furiously, "Lisanna wasn't that far in, you could have gotten both of them! Now she's _gone!_"

Natsu and Lisanna looked at him in confusion.

"Lucy was stuck in a hole too?" Lisanna whispered, "Oh no, oh no, it's all my fault because I panicked over those stupid bugs!"

"That Lucy was real?" Natsu murmured, looking stricken, "She wasn't an illusion?"

"No!" Happy hissed, sounding more catlike than he ever had, "And now we don't know where she is! What are you talking about illusions for! We have to go find her!"

….. (Meanwhile)…

Erza gazed down blankly, no expression on her features, as if she were a drunk observing a mildly interesting bar fight.

Gray looked into her face and immediately noticed that her eyes were blank like those of a blind man's. She was Erza, but not.

The battle would be hard; He didn't want to hurt Erza, but she _definitely _wanted to hurt him. However, right now he was in shock.

"Erza?"

_VEEEEN! _The blade sliced a centimeter from Gray's face as he danced back, thinking on his feet as he dodge more wild blows. Erza had certainly not lost any of her skill…..

"Ice make racquet!" He would make it so she wouldn't be hurt, but it would certainly knock her off balance….

Erza dodge with ease, shattering the huge chunk of ice with her blade. Crystals peppered down on Gray, but he ignored them, thinking fast.

"Ice make net!" Erza jerked in surprise as a net made of flexible slush landed on her and hardened on her armor, making her immobile.

Out of breath from all his dodging, Gray walked forward and crouched next to Erza where she laid hissing and spitting in her fury.

A sudden change came into her eyes but it was too late by the time Gray noticed it. The ice covering Erza cracked as she lunged, her blade flitting between the holes in the net… and between Gray's ribs.

The ice mage gasped in agony, pressing his hand to where the blade had withdrawn, and felt hot sanguine gushing over his fingers in torrents. She had been faking. She could still move.

Looked like he had lost this round.

He fell back as Erza rose, tracing the tip of her sword down the side of his neck and then landing the point just below his chin.

Erza gazed down at him and a small smile traced her lips. "Will you let Erza kill you? Will you kill Erza? It's like a puzzle!" The voice flowing from Erza's mouth was not her own, the voice of a child in the face of a woman. It was enough to give even the ice mage chills. Gray gritted his teeth and came to a sudden decision.

"Erza! I know you're still there! Why are you giving up so easily? Fight the enemy Erza!"

Her lips curled in a sneer as she brushed crimson strands of hair out of her face.

"You deserve to die slowly." She whispered, the child's tone darkening to some emotion beyond black rage.

The blade came down and buried itself in Gray's side, shearing through two ribs and crushing his insides.

His blood spurted up into Erza's face, and she blinked in surprise. Her eyes cleared minimally, and she looked at Gray on the floor.

He could see her now, the real Erza. She was back. He smiled at her.

Erza stared at her friend, and then glanced at her bloodied blade and hands. She fell to her knees, pressing her hand over her mouth despite the fact that the action smeared gore on her face.

"Gray! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I can't… can't control my body!" Her free hand was drifting toward her blade.

"Make a cage! Put me in a cage so I can't hurt anyone else!"

"Alright…" Gray murmured, his eyes blurring, "Ice make… cage…."

A cage on wheels formed. Erza, with the greatest mental effort she had ever put out, forced herself into the cage, leaving her blade on the floor. She could always buy a new one.

"Glad to have you back, Erza." Gray smiled, pushing himself upright and sagging against the wall. He leaned on the cart's back and began to shove it forward with much gritting of teeth.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on like this, but he was bound to run into someone, sometime, right?

…..Right?

And if not…. He would bleed to death, slowly and miserably.

No big deal.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm pretty happy, I got more reviews on the last chapter than any of the others before hand! Thanks to Senbei X Ramen Cup for the great encouragement, and thanks to all the rest of you, (MANGA1, AMU, ShiningStellar, Kelly Splash) for yours as well!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Gunshots and Doll Makers

"Bixlow, what now?" Fried sighed in exasperation.

"This place is fantastic! Amazing! Completely and utterly indescribable!" The helmeted doll-maker cried in ecstasy. He was throwing open doors and looking inside, not thrown in the slightest by the gaps in space and time between the rooms.

"Whatever. Let's go." The rune mage opened the door directly in front of him and then leapt back as a pair of furiously brawling people fell out.

"Give it back bastard!"

"No fricken' way, you almost took my _eye _out with that thing!"

"You're a pansy! It's not like your eye is a vital organ or anything!"

"What the hell! Here! Let me stick this in _your _eye and see how _you _like it!"

"Ow! Ow! Get it off my face, I'm _bleeding _here!"

A bone handle knife came skidding across the floor where it had been slapped out of someone's hand. The someone who had been in possession of the knife was Wish, currently disgruntled and finding the thought of a blade in his face entirely unacceptable.

The one who was currently on the top of the wrestling pair was Shredder, his face dripping red from a series of shallow scratches near his left eye.

The taller of the two bean-pole boys scrambled away after his knife, which had fallen at the feet of Fried. He snatched up and held it close to his face, crooning to it as if it were a child or a loved pet.

"How could Wish do that, eh? Tossing you on the floor like…. Huh?"

Shredder looked up, and dark eyes met those of many colors before the Midnight Sun boy grinned widely up at the Fairy.

"Geez Shredder, what's your problem…" Wish huffed, standing up and brushing dirt of the toe of one of his engineer boots. "Hey Bixlow, Fried." He greeted them as if running into the pair while fighting viciously with his team member was a normal occurrence.

"Hey!" Bixlow called back from across the hot-pink wall papered room. He ran back to Fried, scattering teddy bears as he did so.

"I don't got a problem, you're the one who's all uptight." Shredder told his friend as he rose to his feet.

"I don't like it here." Wish muttered.

"Pff, you came because Shade asked you, right?"

"You only came because Finny said she was going!"

"What? No way! I don't _like _her!"

"Did I say that? No, but _you _did! Saying that means you _do!"_

"They're worse than Evergreen." Bixlow said to Fried, dumbstruck. Fried nodded in surprise. He hadn't thought that possible actually….

"Whatever." Wish snapped, turning away, "Let's just get on with it and get the hell out of here."

He reached for the brass handle of an old fashioned black door complete with a door knocker before jerking back instinctively. The instant he pulled his hand away, a girl fell from the ceiling, jerking to a stop inches from the floor. Clear puppet strings held her at the elbows and neck, and she raised her head slowly.

"Stitches…" Shredder murmured, half-stepping forward.

"Stitches Merone?" Fried clarified. Shredder nodded and looked apprehensive.

"The question is, is she really 'Stitches'? Or is she a 'doll'?"

Fried shuddered involuntarily upon closer inspection of the girl. Her face was deathly pale, and her rosebud lips were expressionless. One eye was stitched closed in dark thread that matched the bindings that looped through the skin on either side of her mouth. The eye that was open revealed an unearthly shade of blue that gave an unsettling stare from beneath dark brown hair. She wore a patchwork dress that ended in a dark green skirt ribbons winding their way up her legs, stemming from tattered cloth shoes without soles. The Midnight Sun crest rested on her exposed right calf, visible between ribbons.

"Wish…" Her voice was like wind whispering through dead leaves, pleading but with a deadly chill; there was a sudden sound like the stretching of spider silk and Wish's head tipped back as a thin puppet-thread tightened painfully around his neck, cutting into his skin.

Shredder lunged forward and severed the string with his blade, Wish giving his pal a gasping wheeze of thanks.

"Run…!" Wish commanded breathlessly as his 'doll' guild mate hissed with fury. Shredder took off with speed Fried didn't know he had, but the Fairies remained rooted to the spot, grabbing the pair by the arms as they prepared to make their escape.

"Tch, cowards." Bixlow spat.

"Have you no pride as guild wizards?" Fried asked Wish lowly.

"SHHHHH!" Shredder began gesturing wildly for Fried to shut up, "Don't say that to him, he'll-"

"Pride?" Wish's voice was ice cold, dead, flat. "Who needs pride? It's a selfish emotion for those looking for an excuse to die. Where does one's pride go when they die in combat rather than living to fight another day? Does pride _help _anyone?"

Wish jerked his arm out of Fried's grip, and Bixlow and Shredder simply stood and watched the exchange.

"Is pride what starts pointless fights? Is pride what makes people die for a certain cause? Isn't _living _for that cause better than _dying _for it? No good comes of death." Wish continued, "Pride is a filthy emotion that has no place in this world. Ugh-!"

A dark shock ran through the time mage, jolting up Fried's arm and forcing him to let go. Wish turned, and Fried was startled to see the previously peacock green eyes shift to ash gray. The irises rolled up into the boy's head until the whites showed empty blackness.

"Oh _shit_!" Shredder cried, grabbing Fried and Bixlow, dragging them back, "Get out, get out, get out!"

"Wha-!" Bixlow tumbled back and lay on the ground, Fried landing beside him and Shredder sliding onto the floor between the two. Stitches simply hung on the ends of her strings for a second before her eyes widened and she seemed to come to herself, the dark energy thrumming through the room breaking the doll spell cast on her.

"Wish? Wish what are you…. Eek!" She retracted her threads like a spider scrambling up a web and clung to the ceiling.

Wish looked up at her with those all black eyes and cocked his head. The shadows around Stitches began to writhe sickeningly, twisting violently before they split open and shadowed hands, deformed claws, repulsive travesties of life spilling forth with terrible haste.

"What _is _this?" Bixlow muttered rhetorically.

"This is Wish's true power. _Dream of Darkness_. We also call it the window to hell, those of us that have seen it." Shredder replied without prompting, "He can't really control it when he gets like this though. He barely kept it under control in your guild, but he can't keep such energy under wraps for long periods of time…"

Shredder pulled two knives out of his jacket reluctantly.

"Stitches'll get pissed if I do this…." He winced as he threw the blades with pinpoint accuracy, severing the strings which held Stitches. She fell to the floor, out of the reach of the monsters. Wish snarled and whipped around to glare at Shredder through alien eyes that did not recognize his friends.

Fried watched all this go on and only when the blackness covered his face did he realize.

He was sinking into darkness that swallowed him before he could warn his companions.

….

Alzack was lost.

Utterly, irrevocably lost in this infernal prison of a house, looking for Bisca. He had lost Gray a while back, but the ice mage would be fine. Right now, he had to find Bisca.

He _would_ find her. He was sure of it.

But would she still be recognizable when he did?

…

"Wish, get a grip." Shredder said calmly, making no sudden movements as his friend tensed like a wounded animal, torn between wanting to rip Stitches' face off and having to defend against Shredder.

"Shade and Shine wouldn't want you to be like this Wish, so calm the hell down. If they saw you like this, what would they think? You promised you would try your best to keep this crap in check, right?" Shredder continued. Wish stopped, straightened minimally and continued to stare at the knife master.

"That's right, come on…. You have to come back to reality now."

The blackness in Wish's eyes paled to gray, then to white, and suddenly the coal-black irises were back and even they slowly turned to blue-violet…..

Wish looked around bemusedly, and spoke.

"Where's Fried-?"

_BANG_

Wish looked surprised for a moment before he coughed, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He looked down and seemed mildly alarmed to see a hole busted in his chest, gazing at the bullet casing that now rested several feet away.

He collapsed at Shredder's feet where blood began to pool rapidly, and the culprit, standing with her gun to Stitches' terrified face, came to light.

"Bisca, what did you… do?" Bixlow

Shredder gave an inarticulate roar and lunged forward, drawing his trusty bone handled knife.

"Talk about bringing a knife to a gunfight… Hey, where _is _Fried?" Bixlow murmured.

…..

Gray was running out of energy, fast. Erza could easily see it in the way his skin had taken the complexion of a corpse, how the blood flowing sluggishly from his side refused to stop, in the way his eyes were rolling into the back of his head and then snapping back as he tried to remain conscious. He didn't even have enough energy left to freeze the blood over his wound to staunch the flow.

And yet she could do nothing to help.

She wanted to, so desperately, so desperately…. But she couldn't.

Gray pushed steadfastly on, rolling the cart through what seemed to be the thousandth door before it finally happened. He fell, curling in on himself like a dying centipede.

"Gray!" the redhead screamed, griping the ice bars of her frozen prison with desperation, "Gray!"

"Gray?" Erza turned with tears in her eyes to see Lisanna running to them. The white haired girl crouched by the ice mage, putting a hand on his heaving chest to test his temperature. "Natsu! Natsu come…."

Lisanna halted, looking at the dragon slayer. Natsu was kneeling on the floor, his head in his hands.

"Lucy…" his voice was audible despite its low volume, "What did… he was right, _I _was right, what's _wrong _with me…."

"Natsu!" Happy barked, displaying unwonted strength, "Get a hold of yourself! Do something for Gray and Erza and then find Lucy!"

"You're right Happy." Natsu gritted out with difficulty, "Lisanna, push the cart with Erza in it. Happy, carry Gray. Erza, it's good to see you." The boy turned to face another door and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go get Lucy."

…..

Lucy opened her eyes and was at once extremely confused. Dressed in a pink ball gown, she was sitting at a banquet table set with the fixings for tea for five. On her right was Shine, her half-open eyes gazing blankly as if she were in shock; on her left was Fried, clothed in a violet gown and mercifully unconscious.

Directly in front of Lucy sat two young girls who looked like they could be sisters. The peacock green hair, the deep purple dresses, the milk white skin and the flashing eyes. The older girl's eyes were purple-blue, but the younger had eyes as red as blood.

"Lucy-san! You woke up!" The older of the two piped.

"I told you she would," said the younger with a small smile.

Lucy twitched as she looked at the smaller girl, her mind flashing through memory after memory before landing on one that brought up pain and fury…. The little girl shoving her into the dark abyss that had led her here.

"You did, Minnie! You were right!"

"Of course. I'm your best friend. Would I ever lie to you, Lacie?"

_Lacie? _Lucy thought in panic, _I'm trapped with the doll maker. _


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hiya people! Sorry for posting so late, I was at a mini party where we ate chocolate and watched the movie Rio. I actually thought it was pretty dumb, mostly because of the implausibility of it all, and the fact no one died. **

** It's not a good movie if no one dies.**

** Also, I will be putting a poll on my page just for the fun of it to see which OC from this story is getting the most love out of the main ones….**

** Vote if you have the time, review if you have the emotion!**

** I hope you enjoy, happy Labor Day!**

The Beginnings of Insanity

Alzack was definitely lost now. Worse than before. Like, so lost he was actually confusing his right and left.

He _had _to find Bisca though, so rather than waiting to get his bearings he plunged furiously on, no longer bothering to chart his progress mentally. He would either run into an ally or an enemy, and either one would be fine.

If he ran into allies, he could team up with them, it was damn creepy wandering around on his own.

If he came across enemies he could either play target practice to get some of his frustration out or use one of them to find Bisca for him.

Just as he opened another door and peered inside, he heard something from the room opposite to him.

_BAM. _That was a gunshot. No doubt, that was a gunshot. And better yet, it sounded like a rifle, which was what Bisca used by choice….

An inarticulate roar of fury rang through the wall and startled the Fairy Tail mage. Then a scream, a woman's scream, and it sounded like…

Bisca!

Alzack ran to the door as fast as he could, kicking it in, fearful but joyful, afraid but ecstatic.

He halted in the doorway.

One of the Sun mages was laying face-down in a pool of blood, the one in engineer boots and torn jeans…. Wish, that was it. His ripped shirt was soaked in gore, glazed blue-violet glittering beneath his lids. His mouth was slightly open in a vague expression of shock. The hole punched through his body was clearly visible even at a distance, the magic bullet casing lying on the ground beside him, stamped with the indication of a minor explosive. Every gun-using mage had some, but Bisca marked her casings by painting them green for when she and Alzack went to the shooting range for some friendly competition.

Green bullet shells, check.

He heard a muffled cry and gave a shout of his own. The knife master, Shredder, was on top of Bisca, furiously stabbing downward, intent on shoving his blade through her face. The only thing stopping him from doing so was the fact that Bisca was holding her gun in front of her to ward off blows.

"_Damn you!"_ the knife mage roared, "_Damn you!_"

Alzack had just enough time to register Bixlow rolling Wish over to check for signs of life. Alzack saw none; signs of life, that was. The boy's eyes were rolled back and glassy, blood leaking from his mouth and pouring from his chest.

After taking note of his guild mate, Alzack drew his gun and aimed at Shredder's back.

He _would not _allow anyone to hurt Bisca.

Not his allies, not his enemies, not even himself.

…

Lucy swallowed and came to a decision. She would have to play it cool, get information from the girl and try to escape by any means necessary. She hadn't come across any 'dolls' yet, but she had felt that temporary, mind-numbing emptiness and decided that must be the way the 'dolls' were controlled.

"Lucy-san? Would you like some tea?" Lacie offered sweetly, proffering a white porcelain tea pot from which steam was rising. Lucy opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and, finding no words, simply held out her tea cup. A stream of pale liquid poured in and the smell was divinely sweet with a bitter edge.

"We didn't know what all of you liked, so we made earl gray." Minnie said quietly stirring her own beverage, "We hope you like it."

"O-oh, um, thank you." Lucy stammered, and Lacie smiled.

"Sugar?" She asked, clicking the tongs together. Lucy took a sip of the tea, and finding its flavor to be perfect, she declined.

The room they were seated in had vertical black and white striped walls, white tiles beneath their feet, and muted cloth hangings of the blank stretches of wall.

"Do you like skipping rope?" Lacie asked.

"I used to jump rope when I was little! What rhymes do you use?"

Lucy and Lacie, with the occasional interjection from Minnie, kept up the small talk, and Lucy decided that she rather liked the young girl, and could almost forget the terror of the house she was in and the wounds given to her friends.

"I wonder if everyone wants to leave downstairs yet. They're bothering me." Lacie pouted, "They all come to take my friends away, and I don't like it. The people I have here have fun. You're having fun here, right Lucy-san?"

"W-well, yes, the tea is rather good, but…"

"But?" Asked Minnie.

"Well you said you don't like it when people take away your friends, but… when you keep people in here, you're taking away their friends too." Lucy pointed out. For the first time, the cute little girl's eyes clouded over and Lucy could see a hint of the madness that had driven her to create the house of insanity they were currently residing in.

"No one would ever come near me when they had a choice, so I have to force them to come to me!"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy queried in confusion. She couldn't see anyone _not _being attracted to the adorable, if slightly creepy, little girls before her. Sure they were a bit scary considering what they had _done_, but all things considered….

Lucy wondered if her affection for the girls was an effect of the house.

"Do you want to know?" Minnie's voice was quiet and harsh.

"To know how we became two out of one?" Lacie's tone was muted and sad.

"I-I… Tell me." Lucy wanted to get information out of them the only way she could.

After all, knowing was half the battle.

"It all started when I told Mama I wanted to be a Fairy Tail mage when I grew up…" Lacie started, and suddenly Lucy was transferred into what could only be a memory from Lacie's mind. Lacie's voice spoke through the gloom before anything became solid or animate, "Don't worry Lucy-san, this is easier than explaining. Watch like you would a video lacrima. Watch and listen for me."

…..

_A woman with violet hair and lavender eyes smiled at Lacie from across the table. They were in the kitchen, Lacie munching on cookies her mother had made. _

_ Lacie was the only one in her family with magic power. Onee-chan didn't have any, but she wasn't jealous. She had told Lacie that herself, saying that she was too scared, and that even if she had power she wouldn't use it. Onee-chan said that as long as Lacie was happy, she was happy too._

_ Onee-chan was with her boyfriend right now, so it was just Lacie and Mama._

_ "Lacie, what do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina? I know lots of little girls want to grow up and dance." Mama asked with a small smile._

_ "Mff…" Lacie swallowed her cookie and took a sip of milk, because Onee-chan told her not to talk with her mouth full because it was unladylike. "I wanna go to Fairy Tail Mama! I wanna be the bestest mage ever! I wanna be prettier than Mirajane and stronger than Titania Erza! I'm gonna be the greatest mage to go through Fairy Tail!" The little girls said proudly. Already she had a great deal of power for her age, her specialty ability being to alter reality for her own purpose. Of course most of it was just an illusion, but surely if she practiced enough, then… then…._

_ "Oh. I see." Mama's voice had suddenly gone cold, and Lacie looked up, wondering what she had done wrong._

_ "I-I'm going to play dolls now Mama. Thank you for the cookie!" The tiny girl ran to her mother's side and hugged her tightly. "I love you." _

_ Mama didn't reply. That was when things began. _

_ That was when Lacie started to go mad._

…_._

_ Later that night Lacie heard voices in the living room, so she got out of bed, grabbing a doll she called Elliot and cradling her. Putting her ear to the door, Lacie felt naughty and was sure she would be caught and scolded, but her child's curiosity caught her up and she listened any way._

_ "…. Wants to go to Fairy Tail, then that's her goal Mama! She should be able to dream what she wants just like any other child!" That was Onee-chan. Onee-chan was sixteen, twelve years older than Lacie, and she had a different Papa, but Lacie loved her Onee-chan. Onii-chan was thirteen, and he lived with Papa, so Lacie didn't see him very often, but he was nice too. Onee-chan had violet hair like Mama, but blue eyes like her papa. Lacie's papa had green hair like hers, and dark purple eyes, and was very nice, only he was at work a lot._

_ "That little girl is a _freak_!" Lacie heard Mama say, and she wondered who she was talking about, "She's a freak that should be killed or sent away from normal people. She's not _right_!"_

_ "Mama! That's your _daughter _you're talking about!"_

_ "No, you're my daughter. That thing doesn't belong to me; she was part of the marriage. I pretend to like her because Alren loves her!"Lacie hadn't known that. She thought Mama was her mama and Papa was her papa, but now… Mama wasn't her real mama?_

_ "Lacie is as much my sister as Luca is my brother! I won't let you talk about her like that Mama!"_

_ "Mama…?" Lacie hadn't meant to speak out loud, but in the shock of it all… the door swung open and the piercing purple eyes appeared in the crevice between, full of tears, "You don't…. you don't love me?"_

_ Mama had simply stared at her then. She had simply stared and taken Lacie to the cellar…_

_ Her prison for the next two years._

…_._

_It was dark. So dark she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face for a long time after she woke up, having her eyes closed the same as having them open. But after a while she could see again, her eyes adjusting._

_ She didn't have her dolls here. She couldn't, or rather, _wouldn't _use her magic down in that hole. She didn't have food, only the rotting scraps she was thrown from upstairs. She was still in the nightgown she had worn when first put down there._

_ It had been months, how long she didn't know, but she felt hollow, hungry for food, for love, for freedom. _

_ It was dark. So dark._

_ So lonely._

…_.._

_ More time passed, and still she knew not how long. She couldn't remember her name for lack of it being called. She could no longer speak when she tried, her voice box dead from lack of use. She could no longer feel the gnawing sensation of deadly hunger, for lack of anything to fill the space._

_ But the loneliness remained. She had been down here for a long, long time… all alone. And she knew. She had _found _things down here._

_ Children's bones. She didn't know where those had come from, but they were undeniably the bones of two children, maybe more. And there were dog bones. _

_ Those were from her puppy, Buttons, who Mama had said had run away. Lacie had found his collar, still on his bleached white neck._

_ Lacie picked up a child's skull and peered into the empty eye sockets. What if those bones were hers? What if she had died, and not realized, and simply stayed here….?_

_ Lacie decided she wanted a doll more than anything right now. Dolls wouldn't ever talk back to you, and they were as good as having a friend down there. They listened, and never criticized, and they loved you no matter what._

_ Lacie took the bones and began to shape them…._

…

_ The doll had been coming along quite nicely. She didn't have hair or eyes yet, but the face, carved out of the skulls, was finished. The arms and legs, jointed and held with bone pins, swung smoothly. The thin body was clothed in rags torn from Lacie's dress. Lacie took the sharp bit of skeleton she had been using to carve and began to cut her hair, gathering it at her feet. It was matted and dirty, and she couldn't remember what color it was supposed to have been._

_ She then knotted the newly cut hair into a pixie cut and placed it through the holes drilled in the head of the doll so that the hair hung realistically about the face._

_ The only thing the doll lacked now was eyes._

_ And she _would_ have eyes._

_ "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth…." Lacie whispered insanely to herself._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey again! Thanks for keeping up with 'Broken Toys', and here are the results of the poll I put up.**

** Wish was the only one who got any votes!**

**Well, congratulations to Wish, *Cheers***

**I hope you all enjoy this 11****th**** chapter of Broken Toys, please review :D**

Porcelain Doll

Wendy sat alone outside, sniffling slightly and pausing to wipe tears off her face. She had tried, really she had, but that house was _scary_! She had only been able to go through three rooms before she ran out crying- and had lost Charle too.

The little sky maiden sobbed again and tried to reign in her tears. They were unsightly for Fairy Tail mages, she thought. Poor Charle… the white exceed had a coward for a friend.

"I'm…. I'm stupid!" Wendy berated herself, "I'm a stupid fraidy-cat who leaves her friends behind and then sits in the grass outside picking dandelions!" She stood, albeit shakily, and ran toward the door again.

She put out a hand slowly, trembling, and turned the handle so slightly before…

_Whack_

The door hit her in the face and she was nearly run over by Galice as he stumbled out, looking a bit ruffled, but other than that, no worse for wear. His pale robe was flecked with blood, and he appeared care-worn, helping a heavily limping Azriel, and… Charle!

"Wendy!" The white Exceed fluttered off Galice's head and catapulted toward the half-pint dragon slayer.

After healing Azriel's leg, the three of them sat in the grass outside, coming to the conclusion that if anyone came out injured, then Galice and Wendy could heal them and Azriel could hold them down if the pain caused them to thrash around too much to handle.

They sat out there for a while, and nothing happened.

"Everyone must be very strong to stay in there." Wendy said. Charle said nothing and Galice simply replied with a stoic, 'Hn.'

"Or they're all dead." Azriel replied cynically. Wendy swallowed.

"Come back safe everyone," she whispered.

….

Lisanna was having trouble pulling the heavy chunk of ice that contained a silently weeping Erza. Her hands were cold, her shoulders ached, he face was sweaty, her hair was probably a mess, and to top it off her clothes were splattered all over with blood.

However, that didn't suck nearly as much as what was going on with Gray.

His bleeding had stopped at last, but his face had gone a funny gray-white, his eyes glazing over as he passed out. Lisanna was no expert, but when people turned white, that was bad. When they started turning purple, they were dead.

Lisanna walked faster, Happy silently keeping up.

Where the heck was the exit?

…..

Alzack's pulse pounded in his ears so loudly he couldn't hear the gun go off in his hand. He watched, as if in slow-mo as the newly released bullet raced toward the pair struggling on the floor…. And his eyes widened in horror as Bisca kicked Shredder off to keep his knife out of her face…. And absorbed the bullet involuntarily into her shoulder.

Not a fatal shot, but Alzack had fired it, he had hurt her, he had done what he hadn't thought possible, and now she turned her blank eyes on him, her arm dangling limply at her side.

It was a replay of their first 'doll' fight, but a hundred, no a _thousand _times worse.

Bisca rose, ignoring the pain in her most likely broken shoulder, and put her eye to the viewer on her gun.

Her aim was trained directly between Alzack's eyes.

….

Lacie watched, head resting on one hand in mock boredom as she stared at Lucy, whose body was seizing up with horror at what she was watching.

If watching it made her react like that, she had no _idea _what it was like to experience it.

"Should I stop?" Minnie asked in mild concern for her target's sanity.

"Go one. I want to see what happens next." Lacie replied with a crooked smile.

…

_The door at the top of the cellar stairs opened a crack, and Lacie squinted against the sudden brightness. She hadn't stopped looking for eyes for her doll, but still nothing had been shown worthy of becoming something in that place. The darkness pervaded all, and drained the color from the world._

_ The darkness had pervaded her heart and allowed hatred to grow. Hatred spawned madness, and madness spawned death._

_ Death_

_ Lacie shielded her face against the sudden stabbing blades of light that filtered down from the steps above her, her eyes stinging. She had been so long in the shadows that any amount of brightness burned her, lit her on fire from head to toes._

_ Or perhaps that was the hatred for the face that appeared before her._

_ "Oh, still alive?" Mama asked coldly. Mama? No. Now she was simply Elliot Kor, step mother of Lacie Kor, witch of a wife to Lacie's beloved Papa. Lacie had had a doll named Elliot, she remembered. Stupid thing. _

_ Lacie made no reply, but stared sullenly up at her tormenter, imagining a black hand crushing down on the horrific woman's heart until it burst, but Elliot Kor simply remained where she stood, and suddenly, suddenly…_

_ "_Should I do it?" _The voice was hollow, terrifying, horribly lovely, and inviting, the voice of a young girl, "_Should I kill her?"

_"What are you staring at, brat?" Elliot Kor spat, swinging a high-heeled foot into Lacie's side. _

_ It was Fairy Tail's fault. They had lead her to believe anything was possible, given her hope, but now, now she knew what the world was really like: a place of horror, pain, loneliness and fury. _

_ Suddenly, the hatred inside Lacie ruptured, exploding in a sudden burst of magic power that altered the reality around her, giving her inhuman strength…_

_ And in that moment, hatred tore her soul in two._

_ Elliot Kor looked in shock as a sharp shard of bone tipped with a dog's incisor for extra support pierced her neck. She stared down at Lacie, her step-daughter, where things around her floated, and a doll, a _doll _stood on its own two feet and became fleshed like a human child._

_ The doll grinned, blinking its blank sockets at Elliot Kor._

_ The woman died screaming._

"Make it stop, make it stop…" Lucy stared whispering, covering her eyes, but the picture was _in her head_, it wouldn't be blocked out, it….

_Lacie gave a demented smile, and stared into the blank eyes of Elliot Kor. Taking her homemade weapon from the woman's throat, she etched into the irises of the violet gaze, forcing them red._

"Make it stop, make it _stop_, oh my, oh…."

_The crazed little girl plucked the eyes from the woman's sockets, and with one in each hand turned to her child of ire._

"No more, no more, please, please…."

_Placing the eyes into her creation, the doll blinked._

_ "Can you see? What should I call you?" Lacie asked._

_ "I can see. I can see all. I can see into your heart, and you know the answers to your own questions. I am you, and you are me, we were one torn by wrath."_

_ "Minnie."_

_ "Lacie."_

_ The two spoke in unison, and instantly, instantly, the madness took over, spreading like a disease through their bodies._

_ "I live to serve."_

_ Horrible things, crazy images, distorted views, sickening flashes of twisted delight…. This was…._

"STOP! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYMORE!" Lucy clawed at her own face, screaming, screaming… "NATSU!" She shrieked through her tears, "NATSU!"

…_Power._

"You want to see him so bad? He doesn't love you, he never will, but fine," Lacie asked listlessly, "you can see him. Minnie."

"Yes. Doll incantation activated. Dark source emotion located. Control persuasion commencing."

"Good. Make her kill him, this 'Natsu'. She isn't a good friend if she can't stay after seeing what I've done… it's sad though. I like her." Lacie scratched her head. "Once Natsu is gone, Lucy can stay here forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever…."

Lucy screamed louder and sank into the abyss.

…..

Galice was beginning to doze by the time anything happened, Wendy worrying the grass with her fingers, Charle weaving the tiny plant into braids to have something to do.

Suddenly the door swung opened and three people plus a cat came trudging out. With his healers' intuition, Galice could see that the person the blue cat was carrying was gravely injured, maybe dying. His color was too pale, too waif-like.

A red haired woman was caged in ice, being tugged along by an exhausted looking white-haired mage in a blood stained skirt. Wendy jerked up with a cry.

"Erza-san! Gray-san!" Galice struggled to his feet as Charle flew to Happy's aid as the blue cat struggled to hold up the dead weight of the ice mage in his paws. Wendy reached the group before Galice, mostly because the white haired healer had been hiding his limp from the sky maiden to make sure she reserved her magic energy. In truth, his right leg had been torn open along the back of his calf, so it supported absolutely no weight. He had sealed the wound, but it would be a while before the muscles grew back into place.

After hobbling up he caught Gray and laid the ice mage out on the grass, moving over so Wendy could begin healing the boy. Galice started superficial work on the girl…. Lisanna was it? While Azriel swung her blade into the iced cage that contained the requipist.

Just looking at the injuries Gray had, Galice shook his head.

If everyone's wounds looked like that, then someone would die.

Whether it be the patient of their wounds or the healer out of exhaustion.

It was simply not a healer's nature to give up on life, even to the last breath.

…..

"Lucy!"

Natsu was running helter-skelter from room to room screaming her name. Planning had never really been his strong point, and wandering around on his own in a panic was just making it worse.

"Luce! Come on, answer me!"

Only his own voice rebounded back on him, but suddenly….

"Hide and seek! Hide and seek! Can you find her, Salamander? She's waiting~" and childish voice giggled. Natsu whipped around and saw nothing.

"Dammit…." He snarled, "What is this place?"

Then he caught a whiff of Lucy's scent.

On went the chase.

….

"Bisca…." Alzack breathed, seeing her aim trained on his face. The knife master was busy coughing up blood in the corner, Bixlow was still messing around with the obviously dead man in the center of the room, and he and Bisca were at an impasse of sorts.

If Bisca shot, the recoil would blast her shattered arm back, causing irreparable damage. If she didn't, she left herself open to attack.

Suddenly, the girl who until this point had simply been trembling in the corner, the girl with the stitches in her face, shrieked in wild abandon and began to wrestle the gun out of Bisca's hands. Completely caught off guard, the rifle came away easily, and the green haired girl was left weaponless.

Alzack walked forward, crouching as the stitch-faced girl panted from behind Bisca.

Alzack reached out and brushed the bloody hole in Bisca's arm, bowing his head.

"I'm sorry…." He whispered.

The butt of Bisca's gun came slamming onto the back of her head, and she blacked out.

…..

_It was very, very dark. Empty, lonely, hollow….. Lucy was floating on nothing, simply suspended in black blankness._

_ Where was Natsu?_

_ She wanted him here now, she was scared._

_ Sweet, strong, troublesome, thick-headed Natsu… lovely, violent, dependable, pink haired dragon slayer._

_ "He doesn't love you." A voice said._

_ Who said she loved him? She most certainly did _not _thank you very…. Yes she did. Being in denial did nothing. It hurt to think about him, and faking that she didn't love him only made it worse._

_ "That's right," the voice chimed, "Because he betrayed you."_

_ Had he? Yes, yes he had…._

_ "With Lisanna. He picked her over you. He'll _always _pick her over you. You're just his _teammate, _a _friend, _a _third wheel, nuisance _of a_ girl _to him." Chided the echoing tones. The voice was her own, and yet…._

_ She knew. _

_ Deep inside of herself she hated him for what he did._

_ She hated him for abandoning her._

_ "So kill him." Commanded the voice of Lucy-not-really._

_ Whoa, wait, she hadn't signed up for _that_, that wasn't…_

_ Too late, she had given up her body to dark emotions._

_ Lucy had become a doll. _


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm back~ I'm actually super happy that I could get this chapter out today, the power outage here in southern California took out a ton of computers, so I'm ecstatic that mine survived.**

** Also, I got a lot more reviews on the last chapter than I got on average in all the last chapters, so thanks guys! It means a lot to me when you all review and let me know what you're thinking :)**

** I'll shut up now so you can read the story, thanks for reading!**

Nightmare

Alzack caught Bisca in his arms, choking back a remorseful sob. The girl with stitches in her face stood, chest heaving as she dropped the gun, and ran to Bixlow's side where he was still messing around with the corpse. The knife master unsteadily gained his feet, still winded from the powerful blow Bisca had dealt him to the stomach.

The multicolored eyes flashed with vengeful fury beneath coppery hair, burning their gaze into Bisca's face. Some feral insanity lingered behind the loose front of the joker, and Alzack instinctively held his partner closer. Shredder spat in their direction, turned his back on the two, and walked over to his own teammate, shoving Bixlow out of the way.

"Beat it, Fairy. Go find your own guild mate." The command was issued in dead tones, but the underlying resentment and threat was easily caught. Bixlow wisely held his hands up in a mild gesture of surrender.

"I-I'll go with him." Stitches murmured, "You can take Wish outside. I'm sorry, Shredder… I'm so sorry that he's-"

"_He's not dead_!" Shredder snarled, pushing her comforting hand off his shoulder, "Not yet, we can still do something, he's always pulled through before!"

"Shredder…"

"Get out."

"But-"

"_Leave_."

"Okay." The girl whispered, touching Bixlow on the shoulder and gesturing toward the door. Bixlow shrugged and went with her, his babies following in their little flock. He probably _should _find Fried….

Shredder took his friends on his back and strode toward the door they had first come through. Despite his carefree looks, he really had been tracking their progress. His hand was on the doorknob when Alzack spoke.

"Wait," he called, still crouching on the floor with Bisca in his arms, "We'll go together."

"Screw you." Came the cold reply, and the pair was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Alzack and an unconscious Bisca behind, the animosity still hanging on the still air like a sick miasma.

…

Natsu threw open the final door, he scent close, seemingly closer than ever before, in his ecstasy of finding Lucy. He opened the door, yes, nearly tearing it off its hinges in his haste, and there she was, dressed splendidly in pink gown that lent a delicate flush to her cheeks. She turned to him as he entered, and he smiled at her.

"Luce! Lucy, I'm sorry, I thought-"

"Gate of the Lion, I open thee."

"What?" Why would she be opening one of her gates, especially Loke's, he was a fighter, nothing useful unless there were enemies around, which there weren't…. Natsu stopped. Loke's gate took a lot of energy from Lucy unless he opened it himself. The dragon slayer glanced around, looking for dangers that might provoke Lucy to use her keys, but saw nothing but the two of them…

"Ah, Lucy!" Loke grinned easily as he poofed into visible existance, taking one of her hands and kissing the top in a sort of playful respect, "Long time no see."

Natsu found it odd that Lucy's eyes remained fixed on him even as Loke continued his antics. Usually the lion spirit provoked an awkward response from his master, but today the girl remained as still as a statue.

"Loke, kill Natsu."

"Huh?" both males inquired at the same time.

"Lovers' quarrel?" Loke asked.

"Lucy, I said I was sorry, what…"

"Loke, that's an order. Kill Natsu."

"Luce, I can't do that, Natsu's-"

"_Kill him_."

Loke winced, and gave an apologetic look to Natsu.

"I don't know what you did to piss Lucy off, but you have to understand I can't disobey her. She says jump, I ask how high. If she says kill, I kill or die trying. Sorry about this." Loke told the dragon slayer.

Natsu simply stood there in shock.

Loke closed his eyes and lunged.

…..

Shade woke up in the darkness, and the only thing she was aware of was all encompassing pain, fire that ate its way across her face, burning fiercely in her left eye and creeping over the bridge of her nose.

She couldn't see.

She couldn't _see_!

Raising trembling fingers to her eyes, she found the her left eye had been crusted closed with blood, and the right… well….

A thick gash, still oozing minimally, passed down her forehead, through her eyebrow, through her eye and down her cheek, ending about the same level as the bottom of her nose. It hurt like hell.

"Shine…" the girl murmured groggily, "Shine, you okay?"

No answer. Shine was gone.

Shade sat in the empty silence, for the first time in a while truly alone.

…..

"I apologize for Shredder, he… he's had it rough." Stitches murmured to Bixlow. The doll mage gave a sidelong look to his temporary companion. Was she bipolar? She went from shrieking bloody murder to speaking so softly he could hardly hear her. Bixlow made no reply. "He comes from a dark guild, you know?"

Bixlow showed mild surprise at that.

"He's seen a lot of things that… well… I suppose they put him off in the head a bit. Sometimes when he falls asleep in his room in the guild we can hear him screaming two floors down…. If you ask him about it, he'll smile and say he doesn't know what you're talking about, but everyone can tell. Sometimes he'll randomly start muttering about blood on his hands that he can't wash off, or how it's all his fault. No one but Wish actually knows what he's talking about, so… that's all."

The girl simply shook her head. Bixlow looked down at her and then opened another door.

The whole damn place seemed to be made of doors and gates!

…

Wish was unsure of where he was, disoriented and confused. There was something off about his surroundings, and his memory was skewed. What the hell was going on? Everything was black on black on black, no light to penetrate the darkness until….

A swirl of color dashed up to meet him and he realized he must be dreaming, because what he was seeing hardly made sense anymore. It was his old home, his old front yard, and in his hands he held his little round rubber ball marked on one side with a yellow star, and the other side marked his name. Rather, it had the phrase, 'make a wish' printed on the side, but the 'wish' portion had been underscored by black marker.

_He bounced it a couple of times, and for some reason he felt excited, really excited…. _

The Wish of the present realized what was going on. He was slipping back into _that _memory, the one that had changed him forever, perhaps warped his mind for a time. He struggled against it, but he was weak, so weak…. And his _chest _hurt dammit, what the hell was that all about? He just wanted to sleep in peace, a dreamless rest like he usually had….

The dream moved on, and Wish remained trapped inside.

_"Wish! Hey, Wish!"_

_ The boy turned in response to that familiar voice. Two little girls were running toward the small boy, one in a black knee-length dress with a skull splashed across the front, the sleeves torn, and the other was wearing a gray skirt and a striped sweater._

_ "Shade, Shine….!" Wish smiled and dropped his ball, running to meet them._

_ "_Go back, go _home, _stupid, don't tell them….!" Wish found he had no voice in whatever hellish place he was in.

_"Dad says he'll take me on a mission! I'm ten now, he said he would take me!" Wish said proudly, beaming. The little girl in black kicked at the dust with one black booted foot._

_ "No fair, you're lucky, being one year older than us!" Shade pouted. _

_ "Yeah, no fair!" Shine chimed, "We're all the same, we wanna come too!" _

_ Wish shook his head with a small smile._

_ "Nope, just me and Dad today. Sorry." His gaze turned apologetic, "I would take you if it were up to me."_

_ The two girls sighed at the same time, but it was a sigh of resignation and approval._

_ "Alright."_

_ "Good luck!"_

_ "Don't get hurt!"_

_ Wish laughed at that._

"Stupid. Stay home, don't go, listen to them!" Wish cried silently.

No sound to penetrate the darkness.

And the dream continued.

…..

Galice was exhausted; Wendy had been saving her energy for those who needed medical treatment for life-threatening injuries, so the rest had fallen to him to fix everyone else. She was still working on Gray, who, as she said, 'wasn't quite out of the danger zone but would pull through as long as he had a will to live'.

So far, Finny and Beyah had come out covered in scratches and bite marks. Apparently they hadn't run into the enemy, but gotten into a fight with one another. Ithiel and Beamer had come next; Ithiel had gone invisible and Beamer had release his lightning at the same time, accidentally zapping his partner. Kova and Kazin had been carried out by Kuma, the two boys unconscious and cut to ribbons. Nearly half the group that had gone in had already been defeated.

Galice was sweating and taking deep breaths, his lungs seemingly oxygen-less with the exertion of fixing all the injuries around him, but he couldn't stop himself. He had to take their pain, make the suffering of the world less…. If he was the only one to suffer, then he would bear it for the sake of the rest of the people he cared about.

His leg was aching, and he dropped to his knees, chest heaving, on his way to apply healing magic to Beamer, who was covered in bruises. Azriel crouched at his side, saying something in her own furiously worried tones, but he couldn't hear her. He could see her mouth moving, but he couldn't comprehend her words.

"….idiot you're going to kill yourself if you keep… rest a while, Wendy can….. hey are you listen-"

Her voice faded in and out and he simply stared. His vision blurred and he rolled onto his side as his arms collapsed beneath him.

Looked like he had used too much energy for the times being…. He fell into a kind of trance-like sleep, his thoughts breaking off half way.

…

Loke's blow landed heavily on Natsu's forearm, raised in front of the dragon slayer's face as a guard. The pair had been fighting for a while, and Natsu could practically _see _the magic draining out of Lucy each second.

Loke wasn't actually trying to kill Natsu, and Natsu was reluctant to use his fire against Loke, so they had both resorted to pure fist fighting, holding a whispered conversation as Lucy looked on.

"What did you do?" Loke asked.

"I kind of left Lucy to die… on accident!"

"…." The lion gave Natsu a look that was all at once horrified, disbelieving, disgusted, and shocked.

"I'm serious!"

"Right."

The next blow Natsu received was decidedly harder. The dragon slayer winced and shook his arm out. That was going to bruise later….

The fighting continued, and the pair began to get more brutal, growing angry despite themselves. They both fought for Lucy in their own way, and neither was making any headway. Lucy continued to watch blankly, as if the fight in front of her was a performance by two complete strangers, as if she had no correlation to the battle she had initiated.

"Something's wrong with her." Loke muttered furiously, "More than just being ticked off. I know you're kind of thick, but was she wearing those clothes last time you saw her?"

"Uh, no." Natsu hissed back, absorbing a blow to the face. He spat blood into Loke's eyes, and the lion had to stop to rub saliva and sanguine off his glasses in disgust. Natsu took that opening and punched him in the stomach, and then lunged forward so they could continue their conversation.

"Her mind and magic are blank; I can't feel anything from them." Loke murmured.

"Why would…. Oh no."

"What?"

"Lucy…. I think Lucy… has become a 'doll'."

Both boys looked in the direction of the delicate lady. She showed no response, standing as still and as beautiful as a porcelain doll.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hiya people! Thanks for all the reviews I got last chapter XD I love you all! Please review again, reviews make authors happy people :P**

** I hope you enjoy this A/N: Hiya people! Thanks for all the reviews I got last chapter XD I love you all! Please review again, reviews make authors happy people :P**

** I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_**This is the revised version**_

Natsu's Confession and Wish's Nightmares

Wendy started violently from her half-dozing state as the door to the Dollhouse swung open, and she half expected something hideous to come crawling out, but it was only two members of Midnight Sun.

Galice had collapsed a while back, and he now slept silently beside her, but that didn't matter right now, because even at a distance Wendy could see that it was no minor injury that came their way.

The black hoodie that shrouded the tall boy stumbling unsteadily toward them was shining darkly with blood that even as she watched dripped and splattered in the grass beneath his feet.

However, the blood was not his. On his back he carried the pale form of another person who slumped unhealthily over his carrier's shoulders, unconscious or worse.

"Hey," Finny said slowly, "That's Shredder…."

Wendy ran out to meet the pair, Finny close behind. Shredder had his hood up, and his eyes were obscured, but tears glittered visibly on his cheeks.

"He's not breathing." The knife master said hoarsely, falling to his knees under the weight of his passenger, "I can't feel him breathing anymore."

"Put him down, quick!" Wendy commanded, and when Wish was deposited, the sky maiden choked. She had seen many wounds, but hardly any compared to this. The bleeding hole seemed to pulse and swirl with darkness unprecedented. Even Gray's wounds hadn't been this terrible, the main issue lying with blood loss that was easily fixed with a blood cell multiplication spell….

"Wish…!" Finny gasped, crumpling into the grass beside her partners, tears in her eyes.

Wendy swallowed and stretched out a hand over the gaping wound, her energy flowing into the crater of flesh, bone, and blood. She would heal him. She _thought _she could….

_Sometimes, _a twisted voice in the back of her mind said, _thinking you can just isn't enough._

….

Shine blinked slowly. Where was she? Why was she dressed in a white ball gown and sitting next to a cross dresser with green hair?

She looked around and immediately noticed Shade wasn't there. The two were hardly ever apart; the girl had to wonder where her partner had gone. Separation in the dollhouse was a very, very bad thing. Not that 'safety in numbers' was a great idea either.

The guild master rose to her feet, and, spotting her bow and arrows leaning against the far wall, went and picked them up. She then turned and exited the room, so intent on finding Shade that she failed to notice that she had left Fried behind.

…

_"Dad, that was all that was to the job?" Wish asked in surprise. They had killed the monster so easily, it seemed not to require hardly any effort. All he had done was frozen the beast and his father had killed it before it had a chance to attack. Father and son now lugged a huge horn behind them, on the way back to Yrid._

_ "That's it! You're magic is very useful, normally that would have been a very drawn out fight. Someone might have gotten hurt." His father grinned at him, and Wish smiled back. It was good to know that he could be of use to someone. He could go back and boast his victory to Shade and Shine, maybe embellish the story a bit and add some actual danger to make the story more impressive…_

_ "Oy, look, Furies." A harsh voice called from a little ways up the path. Wish stumbled as his father halted suddenly, the weight of the animal horn dragging the boy back. It was true, his father belonged to a guild called Night Fury, the symbol being two crossed feathers._

_ "Hnnn, looks like they got a good catch. How much you think it's worth?" A second voice asked lazily._

_ "Dunno. Hey, Night bastards!"_

_ "Ignore them and keep walking." Wish's father murmured to him. The pair was from the guild Solstice, the home guild of Yrid. The boy nodded with wide eyes as his dad began to drag the catch again. Taunts were continually hurled at the two members of Midnight Sun as they hauled their catch down the road side. Finally, Wish's father, usually a calm man, halted._

_ "My pride will not allow you to insult my guild any longer!" the man said harshly._

_ "What'cha gonna do about it, eh?" the first man asked. He was an animate ice mage, a burly man, with a blue crystal fox padding along beside him as he swaggered up to the males of the rival guild. He spat in the dirt to accentuate his words. The second man simply gave a grinning leer, the scars covering his body gleaming white in the light of the dying sun. A weasel-like creature sat perched on his scrawny shoulders, winding its tail around his neck for balance. At his side was strapped a long bladed knife that had a gilded handle. The animal hissed and narrowed its eyes at Wish, who backed up a pace. _

_ "I'll fight you for the name of my guild."_

_ "Hey now," said the second man, a sneer on his lips, "inter-guild battles are against the rules."_

_ "Inter-guild _war_ is against the rules. There is nothing to say I can't fight you on my own." Wish's father retorted._

_ "Have it your way." The burly man shrugged, and his fox yipped and fluffed out its blue fur, the ice that composed it standing out like needles._

_ "Dad, I don't think…" Wish started, but his dad ignored him._

…_._

_ The fight was over very quickly. A bloody gash streaked across the Midnight Sun man's throat and he stared blankly at the sky. The winning pair was now looping the horn Wish had won in battle and taking it for themselves as the boy kneeled on the ground, eyes glazed with shock._

_ The other guild had cheated. _Cheated_! The weasel-man had held Wish hostage, and when Wish's dad stopped, the ice mage had come up from behind and killed him. _

_ Kill._

_ Kill… shadow of death…. Shadows… darkness… everywhere, everywhere darkness was _everywhere!

_ Wish twitched, his fingers dragging through the dirt as if he were trying to claw away the face of the earth. _

_ His finger nails cracked and bled, mixing with the dry dust. _

_ "Should we do something with the brat? My motto is '_leave behind no malice_' after all." said the weasel man._

_ "No, dude, he's just a kid, leave him alone." The fox owner said uneasily. His companion shrugged at him and turned away._

_ "If you say so." Came the uncaring reply._

_ "Hey." Wish said softly. The pair ahead instinctively halted and looked around as Wish stood. "Look." He held his hands, and they were empty._

_ "Kid, what are you…?" the ice man asked irritably. Wish closed his hands and giggled insanely._

_ "I think we might have driven him mad…." The weasel bearer said apprehensively. Something poured out from inside of the young boy's hands, something pure black and amorphous, changing shape until…_

_ The boy opened his hands, and in the sat an all black spider the size of a teacup Chihuahua. _

_ "The darkness is everywhere!"_

_ Indeed the shadows were lengthening, running toward Wish's tormentors like wet ink; the blackness began to bubble sickeningly, and rotting hands reached out of the void._

_ "The darkness is…"_

_ Wish looked up, and his eyes were full black, no white to lessen the evil and insanity in them._

_ "Inside me!"_

_ The men from the other guild screamed, begged for mercy, cried and apologized, but the black hands dragged them irresistibly, inexorably downward into the realm of tortured souls that might be called Hell, where insanity reigned supreme and pain drove men passed the brink of madness to whatever realm lay beyond that. _

_Wish watched, and smiled, the pitch black in his eyes smiling with him as the blood washed the inside of the shadows._

_The Dream of Darkness had been momentarily satisfied._

_But there would be no end to Wish's nightmare._

…_._

Bixlow and Stitches were almost at the point of giving up when they came across the final entrance to Lacie's tearoom. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't there, nor was he doll, but someone else was….

Fried, still unconscious, dressed oddly in a violet gown.

Bixlow started laughing so loudly Stitches jumped at the noise.

"What…. Hahahahaha…. What is… hahahaha… that…?" Bixlow howled with mirth.

"Um… a girl?" Stitches guessed.

"No!" Bixlow crowed, "That's Fried!" Stitches gave him a shocked look. That person was male? "Q-quick! T- hahah… tell me you've got a…. hahaha…. Video lacrima or a camera or something!"

"Uh, yeah, I have this camera that I keep with me for scrap booking." Stitches said timidly. Despite all appearances and bipolarism, she was actually very kind if not a bit psychotic.

Bixlow snapped a picture and the photo slid slowly out of the bottom of the camera. After blowing lightly on the picture for a few minutes it developed into a perfect showing of the stoic green haired man in a purple dress.

Stitches then decided to intervene, stepping over to wake the Fairy.

"Hey… Fried-san!" she called, shaking him lightly. The man's eyes fluttered for a second and then opened in confusion.

"Bixlow…? And… you." He turned his gaze to Stitches then, and she gave him a wave, and a small smile.

"H-hey, Fried!" Bixlow giggled, still choking on his laughter, "Take a look in the mirror!"

Fried turned to the mirror that hung on the back of the door behind him and simply stared for a second before turning back to his guild mate.

"What the hell."

"Do anything I don't like, and Mirajane gets a copy of this picture supersized and hung in banner form over the front of the guild bar." Bixlow threatened, waving the picture in his hand joyously.

Fried stammered incoherently for a minute or more before Stitches threw his clothes to him.

"That's cruel." She whispered to Bixlow.

"That's called survival of the fittest!" the man grinned, his 'babies' dancing around him.

….

"Loke, if I beat you up bad enough, will you be forced back into the spirit world?" Natsu asked, panting heavily and wiping blood from his nose. The dragon slayer had a plan, albeit not a very good one. It was: beat up all the spirits Lucy sent out until she ran out of power and then drag her, kicking and screaming if necessary, out of the dollhouse to break the spell on her.

"Well, in theory yes, but-"

"Sorry about this then." Natsu said, cutting off the lion. A blaze of crimson flame blasted over the spirit, and his cry of pain was heard before a magic seal covered him and forced his return to the spirit realm to heal up.

Lucy hissed in furry, drawing her keys again.

"Gate of the water-bearer, I open thee!" she cried, turning the key.

Nothing happened; she was out of energy to open the gates with.

Natsu started to walk toward her, and she frantically twisted the key, trying to somehow open the gate before he reached her.

Natsu halted right in front of the girl, and she jerked her head up, snarling. Natsu pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tight around her. Finally having found her again, he never wanted to have to let go.

She beat her fists against him desperately trying to make him let go, but he held her tightly, remorse choking him so that his words only croaked out of his throat.

"Lucy," he whispered, leaning his head down close to her ear even as she clawed furiously as his arms, "Luce, I love you."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello~ thanks for all the reviews I got last chapter, and I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read this story :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! Lucy and Natsu aren't in this chapter, but they are in chapter 15, so don't get impatient :P However, there **_**is **_**the introduction of two new characters, one of whom was only mentioned by name, and if you can guess who it really is in relation to the story, send me your guess and I'll tell you if your right!**

**I'd love to say 'you win a prize' but I'm not cool enough to go handing out prizes :D**

Meetings

Shredder had his arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on his arms as his gaze locked on the bloodstained grass beneath his feet. His sweatshirt had grown stiff with drying blood, so had had taken it off, revealing the black shirt beneath with gray words splashed across the front that read 'Silver Bullets'.

Finny sobbed beside him. Despite all her complaints about Wish's laziness, idiocy, etcetera, she really had loved him as a teammate, trusted him as someone to watch her back, someone who would just _be _there.

Neither of them thought he would die. Not here. Not like this.

Neither of them saw what Wendy was seeing, feeling.

The darkness in the wound wasn't just a trick of the light, the blackness was a solid entity that moved fluidly in the hole like mercury, twisting, spiraling, writhing…..

A sudden spasm shocked through Wish's hands, and he clawed at the grass, ripping a few strands up by the roots.

The shadows began to overflow.

…..

_The pain in his chest felt like it was going to rip him wide open; it had gotten worse, so much worse. The memory had already spiraled away, no longer there to distract him from what was happening, and with each passing second his agony grew. He could hardly breathe, his gasping a silent cry that made no noise in the abyss he floated in. He could sense his body drifting in the blackness, even down to the sensation of the golden star charm he always wore on his left wrist swinging gently in a breeze he was incapable of feeling. But despite the acute pain that set his nerves on fire, he felt really…. Happy wasn't quite the word for it. No, this feeling was more akin to… _

_ Insanity. The kind of feeling he got when he had crushed his opponent so thoroughly they stood on death's door. But that was odd, because this time it was _he _who was dying, not the enemy._

_ But perhaps he had been his own adversary all along._

…

Shredder stood, unable to keep still anymore. Finny stood with him, and grabbed his wrist in alarm as her teammate snatched up his jacket and began to storm toward the Dollhouse, murder in his eyes.

"Hey…. Hey, where are you going?" Finny asked thickly through her tears.

"I'm going to wash my knives," Shredder replied softly, "in blood. Red on red on red…. They wail for death." He flipped the belt sheaths out of his sweatshirt and strapped one around his waist over his baggy black jeans.

"What are you talking about?" Finny gasped.

"The one who did this to Wish," Shredder averted his gaze, "You want her dead too, right?" His multicolored gaze flashed to the water mage's face, "Right?"

"I want Lacie gone as much as anyone else, but-"

"Not Lacie. Bisca Mulan and Alzack Connell. We _saved that bastards ass_, and _this _is what he does for us." Shredder curled his lip over his teeth in a snarl, trembling with fury. "I want to kill them. I want to kill them so bad it hurts."

"Shredder, you can't do that. You can't!"

"Why not?" Shredder swung his hand through the air, and Finny flinched as his fist stopped centimeters from her face. His hand dropped back to his side and he plopped back down in the grass. "Sorry." He murmured, "I'm…. just a little upset. That's all. Just… upset."

He buried his face in his shaking hands that were covered in blood only he could see and screamed voiceless sorrow to the graying sky. His silent shriek was the embodiment of insane grief, the very sound of a shattered heart, a twisted soul. No one else could hear him, the cry echoed only in his mind, but all the same he felt comforting warmth on his arm, as if, telepathically, someone had head his desperate plea for solace.

Shredder raised his head to look, and saw Finny, her arms around her knees, leaning on him for support.

"You're not alone." She whispered brokenly, "Not alone."

…..

Alzack was carrying Bisca bridal style, her gun slung over his shoulder. He shuffled exhaustedly from room to room. He had tried to follow the knife master through the rooms to the exit, but the boy was like a waif, there one moment and gone the next. The blood trail was smeared and led into rooms that made no sense until the gunslinger was hopelessly lost.

A door creaked slowly open, and Alzack halted, peering into the shadows. The darkness seemed to take shape, a young woman stumbling out of the black….

Shade appeared, but was not immediately recognizable. One dark iris flickered wildly around the room in a sort of fearful wariness, her hair matted with red, blood caking half her face. The bottom hem of her skirt had been torn off and wound around her head like an eye patch, crossing her face diagonally. She was using her spear as a sort of walking stick, leaning heavily on its support.

"Master Shade." Alzack said in surprise. She jerked her head up, one hand rising to point palm first in his direction. The shadows seemed to gather in her finger tips, a lance of darkness…. A sharp shiver ran down Alzack's spine.

The woman recognized him and dropped her hand tiredly. The shades scattered beneath her hand.

"Connell." She greeted hoarsely, "I see you've retrieved Mulan."

"Yes." Alzack confirmed with a nod.

"Have you seen any of my guild members? Shine, Shredder, Wish, Finny, Stitches, Daisy, Ithiel, Kova, Kazin, anyone?" she asked him. Alzack's throat seemed to close as words refused to form. In the short time he had been with the Midnight Sun, he had already been able to see a close bond between Wish and Shade. At first he had thought it something like his relationship with Bisca, but soon came to realize it was different, somehow closer…. The two knew nearly everything about each other, the good and the bad, and still accepted and perhaps loved one another. It was simply a matter of shyness that held them back.

Her brown eyes, or rather, _eye_, met his expectantly, and he simply shook his head. He couldn't tell her. He just couldn't.

"I shot him." A trembling voice said. Alzack looked down, startled. Bisca was shaking like a leaf, eyes wide, one hand gripping the front of his poncho convulsively, the other covering her mouth. "I shot him, I shot him, oh God forgive me, I _shot him_."

Alzack murmured words of comfort to her as she closed her eyes in horror, holding her close to him. He heard a thump and looked up to see Shade slumping against a wall looking like she didn't believe the words coming from Bisca's mouth.

"Who?" Shade asked softly, "Who?"

"Wish." Alzack answered after a pause. Shade slid further down the wall, using her spear shaft to hold herself up.

"You're lying." Shade said flatly, glaring eye glittering with hostility, "You're lying!" the woman staggered toward them ungracefully, fresh blood oozing from beneath her temporary bandage. Alzack backed up a pace, and he noticed tears in the guild master's blank eyes. "Tell me you're lying." She whispered pleadingly. The pair made no answer, and the woman turned and dashed through one of the doors in a flash, despite the pain caused by her injuries.

"Wait!" Alzack yelled, but she was already gone. "….I don't know how to get out of here."

…..

A loud rumble disrupted Levy's thoughts, breaking through her concentration as she attempted to map her progress through the Dollhouse on a scrap of paper.

"Are you really _that _hungry?" She cried in exasperation as she shot a look at Gajeel, who was sitting cross-legged against the wall, drooling slightly. His sharp red eyes locked on her as he wiped drool off his chin.

"I'm tempted to rip my piercings out and eat them." He replied harshly, "Or find a way up to that chandelier, that would work too."

"Or you could just ask and I could make my Solid Script into _metal_!" Levy shot back. Gajeel gazed at her for a moment in shock before nodding vigorously. Levy raised her pen, prepared to write, but was interrupted.

"Are you perhaps… here to take me back?" a voice asked. A lost looking girl had come unnoticed through a trapdoor in the flooring behind Gajeel. Only her top half was visible, the rest of her still hidden in the darkness below. She was pale, with bright pink hair and warm vermillion eyes, dressed in a bright yellow sundress, a sunflower tucked behind one ear. An overall extremely colorful person.

"Who're you?" Gajeel growled defensively.

"Daisy Evermore…." She said, looking dazed, "I remember being taken as a doll, and then…. I remember Nevermore…."

"Nevermore?" Levy queried, "We were only told about two of our guild mates, Stitches Merone, and you to look for."

"Oh, Nevermore isn't part of our guild. I found him here. It's funny 'cause his name is the opposite of mine! His last name I mean." Daisy said, smiling widely to display sparkling teeth.

_She's sickeningly energetic. Waaaaay worse than Levy. Levy's pretty cool. Maybe worse than Lisanna. It's not natural, damn it! _Gajeel thought, narrowing his eyes.

"Get your ass out of my _face_!" A male voice yelled from beneath her. The shout was followed by a harsh coughing sound.

"Alright, alright. You're such a downer!" Daisy stuck her tongue out as she pulled herself up out of the hole. Seconds after, a second head popped up. A sallow boy with pitch black hair that shimmered green in the light and stood on end around his head crawled out. He was dressed in a long black trench coat that swept the floor when he stood, the sleeves covering his hands. He shook his head and opened crimson-y purple, nearly maroon eyes, giving his croaking cough once again. He plucked a black feather out of his hair with mild distaste and cast it to the ground.

"Thought I was gonna die…" he muttered. He was perhaps fifteen or sixteen. Gajeel looked on hungrily as the boy turned, bringing to light eight silvery piercings on his left ear and seven on the right.

"This is Luca Nevermore; he broke the spell on me!" The girl cried gaily, throwing her hands around his shoulders in a tight hug. The boy winced and rolled his eyes but made no move to leave.

"Fantastic. Levy, can we go outside now? We found one of the missing people, and if she was weak enough to get trapped it might happen again. Let's leave before we find out if the doll spell can come back like an old injury." Gajeel told his blue haired partner. Levy nodded.

"I just finished the map, let's go outside and see if anyone else is there." She said sagely.

"Yay!" Said Daisy.

"Hn." Said Luca.

Gajeel led the way through the nearest exit, the door he had been seated by for the past ten minutes. He stepped in without really looking and fell flat on his face, having tripped over a pair of feet. Whipping around angrily, he saw Alzack and Bisca sitting on the floor, Alzack looking like he'd been through hell and Bisca in heavy tears, sobbing into his arm.

"Hi." Alzack said blankly, "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"Tch, that's lame, bastard. Real lame. How do you get lost in a place like this?" Luca called from behind Levy.

"It's not hard actually," Daisy said cheerfully.

"It's straight as the Crow flies." Luca commented dryly. He shook back on of his sleeves to reveal himself holding a black feather. He set it flat on his palm and it spun like a compass. The quill end pointed left, and the boy jerked his head in that direction. "We go that way."

"But my map says…." Levy was cut off.

"Lacie is getting mad. She moved the hall ways." The boy's eyes softened as he said Lacie's name, and Gajeel didn't miss the fact. It weirded him out looking at that boy. Something not quite right….

"We'll try it your way." Levy said, "And if it doesn't work, we'll try mine."

"My way won't fail." Luca told her confidently, "My magic is called Crow Flight. The ability to find the exit is one of the side-skills."

After a short ways of going they ran into another familiar person.

"Master Shine!" Daisy yelped, recognizing the woman far before anyone else. The guild master turned, looking distressed but a bit happy to see Daisy.

"Have you seen Shade?" she asked the group, "I haven't been able to find her anywhere!" Alzack shuffled awkwardly, again, a movement not missed by Gajeel's sharp eyes.

It looked like he and Levy were turning into a lost-and-found for people with twisted secrets and chronic idiocy.

And he was still hungry.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: The poem in here is called 'the man who wasn't there' I modified it slightly to fit Wish though. Also, one that fit him almost perfectly was 'Every night' modified just to make the years add up. Also, the Azrael Spear's name comes from the fact that Azrael is thought to be the name of the angle of death that was mentioned in the Bible. Yaaay Bible!**

** A lot of effort and research went into this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it :) When I say a lot of research I mean more than none, which is what all the rest of the chapters have. : P**

** Also, why does everyone want to kill Alzack? I mean, I can see WHY, but I didn't think I would get that kind of reaction from so many people! XD**

Echo

_He could hear something beating a slow tattoo in his ears, but it couldn't possibly be his heartbeat, he was _dead_ damn it. He _knew _he had to be dead, because no one could possibly be alive with the kind of pain he was in. In Hell maybe, but not on earth._

_ The agony drove him very nearly out of his mind, and the steady pounding in his eardrums pulsed sanity into the void. It kept him sane for a while as he listened to it, but soon he lost even his grip on that. His head thrummed with a babble of voices that soon merged into one voice, the voice of a child, the voice of the innocence he left behind the day his father was killed, the day he became a murderer, the day fate frowned upon the shooting star, the day wishes stopped coming true. _

_ It screamed._

_ That's all the voice did, it screamed._

_ On and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on….._

…_._

Wendy choked out a cry, and both Shredder and Finny whipped around, eyes gazing sharply at their motionless friend.

Only he no longer remained motionless.

Shredder scrambled over, Finny froze, but Wendy couldn't tear her eyes from the contortions of her patient.

His eyes were still closed, but his back was arched away from the floor as his body stiffened in agony. His fingers scrabbled at the dirt as he writhed with the fury of his pain.

No sounds escaped him as he struggled silently, the darkness in his chest spilling into the grass and soaking in, killing the plants all the way to the roots before they grew back in a nightmarish version on the first. The grass that grew back was blood red, black flowers bobbing on the ends with snapping teeth in the ruffling petals. Wendy jerked her hand away from the botanical travesties in panic.

The darkness that remained filled the wound and oddly began to stitch it closed, unnaturally, tugging at the warped flesh and causing new bleeding with the black threads… Wendy didn't like it. It was abnormal, horrific.

"Wish!" Shredder cried, grabbing his friend's wrist. The boys tussled on the ground for a moment, one the voice of reason and the other the voice of crazed agony.

Wish began to scream, no words to express his pain, but his eyes flickered open. His gaze was fixed on something no one else could see, and he clapped his hands to his ears, his cries softening to whimpers.

"As I was walking up the stair, I met a boy who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. I wish, I wish he'd go away…. As I was walking up the stair, I met a boy-" Wish kept repeating these words in a soft but terrified voice, his eyes slowly turning blacker with each repetition. "Leave me alone!" He sobbed, breaking off his slurred chanting, "Get out of my head!"

Shredder simply looked on, confused and helpless.

….

_"As I was walking up the stair, I met a boy who wasn't there….."The childish voice recited. He had often said the rhyme when he was a kid, for he had often seen things no one else could, and as way of explanation he had learned the poem…. Now he simply ignored what he could see. The moaning faces in the shadows did nothing unless he ordered it, they no longer frightened him._

_ He hated dusk, but he hated dawn even more. After all, in the dark, you couldn't see anything, and that was scary, but when the sun rose things came to light that would have probably best left hidden from human eyes._

_ "Shut up!" he shrieked at the voice, "Shut up!"_

_ "He wasn't there again today,"_

_ "No…." he cried, "I'm here! I exist!"_

_ "I wish, I wish he'd go away."_

_ "I _am _here, I _won't _leave…." Wish sobbed. The voice was talking about _him_. Some part of his mind remained stuck in the past, a sort of second self that didn't believe in any sort of future. _

_The second self that showed him the darkness._

_ The second self that tried to devour him and take its place in his body._

_ But which of them was really 'himself'? Maybe _he _was the one out of place. Maybe he had never had a right to life in the first place._

"_Every night my father fills me with dread  
>As he sits at the foot of my bed<br>I don't mind that he speaks  
>In gibbers and shrieks<br>But for ten long years he's been dead_." _The voice continued. Wish prayed something would happen to break the mind numbing chants full of terrifying implications. He rather felt he would go out of his mind at the rate things were going…._

_That was, if he wasn't already completely nuts. _

_After all, wasn't what the second voice was chanting simply a reiteration of his own twisted thoughts?_

…_._

Shade rushed blindly from room to room, heart pounding. She had to go to Wish, he was outside, but where was outside?

At her breaking point, the young woman simply blasted away a section of wall.

"Let me out!" she screeched.

No answer but mocking laughter from the shadows, mocking laughter that rang like bells in her ears….

Shade collapsed and began to cry.

….

Shredder crouched at Wish's side and Finny shuffled over at last, over her initial fear. Their teammate no longer lashed out blindly, and the hole in his chest was sealed but something was wrong. Wendy sat trembling in the grass, the mutated flowers having been crushed beneath her shoes.

Shredder felt something brush the back of his neck, and if not for his quick reflexes in drawing his knife he might have had his throat crushed in. A thin, veiny arm reached up out of his own shadow, which was slowly peeling itself off the ground and gaining dimension.

He was dragged backward on his knees, stabbing repeatedly into the slippery blackness of the shadow that threatened to engulf him. Black blood spurted but the beast behind him refused to let go. Shimmering red eyes glared hungrily at him from behind and he panicked, though no sound came from his throat.

Finny hadn't noticed the silent struggle, and Wish had fallen entirely silent, curled into a ball on the ground. Galice was unconscious, Azriel sleeping at his side. Wish's cry had gone unanswered by the rest of the injured guild, passed it off as pain brought on by the healing process, the removal of shrapnel perhaps in their eyes. They paid no more mind to the mildly insane boy they called a member of their guild. They all went about their business, rushing back and forth, attempting to set up communication with the mages still inside the Dollhouse.

But Shredder saw.

Those all black eyes stared maliciously at him, and a thin smile accompanied them.

"I met a boy who wasn't there." Wish whispered in a voice that wasn't his, "Shouldn't you disappear too?"

Shredder choked and struggled harder against the black void behind him, feeling like a fly in a spider's snare. The more he struggled the more futile it seemed to be.

_This fly, _he thought, _has a stinger._

Shredder raised his bone handled knife once more….

….

Fried had stopped talking to Bixlow for the time being, however childish such an act was. What the doll manipulator had done was unforgivable! Taking a picture of him like that… The green haired man sniffed discontentedly.

They had wandered for hours, and they still hadn't found the exit! Damn Bixlow and his weird affinity for psychotic things! He was _enjoying _getting lost and dragging Fried and Stitches around on a wild goose chase.

Fried opened his mouth to say something about this to his partner and the patchwork girl, but stopped as he heard something from the next room over.

Keening sobs of hysterical grief and mingling fear pierced the wall next to where the green haired man stood. He halted and looked toward where the muffled crying was coming from, and opened the door into that room. It might have been stupid and reckless to do such a thing when they were in the Dollhouse, but he found the acute sorrow in those tones unbearable to listen to.

He peered in, heedless of Bixlow's questions as to what he was doing, his dark eyes scanning the shadowy room before him before he saw who was doing the weeping.

Shaking in the center of the room with violence born of excruciating fear, agony, sorrow…. All emotions negative in any manner he supposed, was Shade.

The walls around her held craters brought by slashes of her Azrael Spear as she had swung it in the pinnacle of frantic bid for escape.

Fried did not miss the fact that even as her face was buried in her hands, blood ran over her fingers in small rivulets, mixing with tears as it fell onto the ground.

"Master Shade!" Stitches cried in shock from behind Fried. The girl raised her head up slowly to look, and Fried gagged slightly as she did.

Flesh had been stripped away from her face on the right side, the eye socket empty and staring, blood welling in the deeper marks where the shredded skin streaked across the bridge of her nose. No tears flowed from the mangled remnants of what used to be an eye, the black strips of leather and cloth she had tied around her head unraveling to reveal the gruesome injury.

The master looked utterly defeated, hurt and afraid, alone and in the throes of some horrific grief.

Stitches squeaked and pushed past Fried, dropping to her knees beside her leader.

"Stitches…." Shade breathed the name as if exhausted from panic, "Where is he? Where's Wish? Where…. Where…?" Her voice slurred, her eyes went out of focus, the woman crumpled forward, and Stitches stretched out a hand to touch her.

"She's unconscious, from strain and blood loss I think." The worried girl announced, "We have to get her out soon or else Galice might not be able to fix her eye and it could be stuck like that forever."

"Uh…. I think I recognize this place… I'm pretty sure we're close to the exit." Bixlow said slowly.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Fried sighed, "But lead the way, Bixlow."

The doll mage cheered and ran spastically ahead, his green haired companion just shaking his head as he helped Stitches pick up Shade and wondering if he wouldn't regret that decision.

…

The words left Natsu's mouth without his real consent, his brain having gone into gridlock at Lucy's touch. He simply said what he was feeling at that moment, even as he felt the celestial mage's nails digging into his arms as she struggled.

She heard his voice and for an instant she froze, he blows stopping. Natsu noticed the pause and gave a small smile of relief. She wasn't a doll anymore, but unfortunately that meant the blows falling on him now were her own.

Her fists had become weaker as she hit him, and she began to tremble. A warm drop of liquid fell onto Natsu's skin, and without looking he knew she was crying. He held her tighter, and Lucy involuntarily buried her face against his chest, one hand gripping at his vest, the other balling into a white knuckled fist against his shoulder.

"Don't lie to me." Her voice cracked with a sob as she spoke, and it broke Natsu's heart to hear her say that, "Don't lie to me."

In response he simply buried his face against her neck and inhaled her scent, simply bathing in the glory of Lucy, the girl he loved. She beat her fist against his shoulder, crying harder.

"Don't tell me you love me when I know it's not true!" She wept. Natsu closed his eyes and still remained silent. He had no words. He loved her, and if she rejected him, he thought he might die.

"If you say that without meaning it, I'll break…."

Natsu raised his head and his onyx eyes met her brown ones for an instant before she closed her eyes against the exposed skin of his bare chest, tears seeping from beneath her lids.

"Because…. I'll love you even if you don't love me back." She couldn't hold the volume of her voice anymore, the sobs stinging her throat as she held them back.

"Weirdo." He murmured in her ear, silently thanking his lucky stars Happy wasn't there, that would kill the moment, "I already told you I loved you, didn't I? I don't say things I don't mean. It wastes brain cells."

She looked up at him and he gave her a crooked smile before she wrapped her arms around his middle and simply sobbed into him.

"I was so scared! I was _so scared_!" she bawled.

_Me too, _Natsu thought, _I thought you were gone._ He couldn't bring himself to say it; he had to be strong for her, so he sat on the ground and held her in his lap as she crumpled to the floor with him.

They rested like that in the middle of a half destroyed room, simply holding one another together in the midst of their fears.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Firstly to young4eva…. I have watched/read Pandora Hearts, and you're right, I never noticed how much Lacie and Will are alike…. And I **_**completely **_**forgot about Lacie in Pandora! She's Will's **_**mom**_**? I had no idea…. **

** To the rest of you! Postings may begin to be late starting tomorrow due to the fact that my grandma is staying in my room and it's really hard to write and make deadlines with an old lady staring over your shoulder…. Don't get me wrong, I love my grandma, but still…. **

** Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review :B**

** As an afterthought to the A/N I was thinking I could write a sort of prequel, a history of Midnight Sun that follows the story of how Wish became the way he was, how Shredder came to the guild, how Shade and Shine came to be masters and met Makarov etc…. the title would be Toy Box, and if anyone has an interest and thinks they would read it, tell me in your review. If not, it won't ever get published…. :)**

Declare War on Madness

Shredder gave a strangled cough, his stomach heaving as his gag reflex was activated by the crushing arm that made black spots dance before his eyes. His reserves of oxygen were very nearly up, and no matter how many times he cut the strangling mass around his neck, the darkness kept up its brutal work despite injury.

However, it was that choking cry that alerted Finny and Wendy to his plight even as he felt his body lose strength, going limp in the arms of his prosecutor. Finny gave a startled shriek, Wendy simply squeaking in fear. The water mage gripped the shadow-steeped arm and pulled with all her might, struggling to free her teammate. Wish simply watched with heavy lidded eyes, no interest lighting the blank spheres. The color morphed from black to gray, but never faded entirely into the periwinkle gaze that signified that Wish was in control. Whatever hellish battle his mind partook in, it didn't look like he was winning.

The war against madness had begun.

…..

"I-I don't like it! Everyone's leaving! All my friends…" Lacie cried, "I want nii-san! Where did he go?" She looked pleadingly at Minnie.

"I'm unsure. His magic keeps even me from tracking him." The doll-girl replied apologetically.

"He always goes wandering around and doesn't tell me where!" Tears filled the little girl's eyes, "He's so mean!"

"But he _has _stayed with you all this time, hasn't he?" Minnie asked gently. Lacie bowed her head in recognition.

"Yes." She said, a bit shamefully.

"Give him some time on his own, he probably went off to think or sleep like he usually does. Especially sleep." Minnie pointed out.

"You're right." Lacie replied somewhat more calmly, "We'll just wait for him to come back then. Maybe he'll bring more people to the house to play with."

"More dolls for Lacie…." Minnie crooned softly to herself.

…..

"Almost to the exit…" Luca muttered, glancing right, then left, before going straight.

"But…" Levy started, "My map says…"

"Screw your map, it's wrong, dumbass." The maroon eyed boy snorted, "Like I told ya earlier, Lacie doesn't like it when people leave, so she moves things around and gets'm confused."

"Don't talk to Levy like that, bastard." Gajeel snarled from the back of the group. His fury intensified as the boy gave him a dismissive glance and turned away. The iron dragon slayer started forward angrily, nearly knocking over Alzack and Bisca.

"Let's not kill out ticket out of here…" Shine murmured, placing a restraining hand on Gajeel's elbow, the highest place she could reach.

"Master Shine, when we get out of here, can we bring Nevermore?" Daisy asked excitedly, spinning around in ballet pirouettes as she walked.

"Hey, don't go signing me up for your guild without consent or acting like I'm something you can claim! I'm not a dog!" The leader of the group snapped. He suddenly halted, eyes widening before he gripped his chest spasmodically and started his wracking cough, hardly having time to breathe. Daisy started forward as blood spattered from his mouth, but he held out a soiled hand to stop her, wiping his mouth as he straightened up. "Lacie's angry." He said lowly, his voice guttural with the harshness of his hacking, before taking a right.

"What the hell was that?" Gajeel muttered. Levy just shook her head in silent confusion and followed the boy with the feather in his palm.

…..

Galice opened his eyes slowly, feeling groggy and aching all over, his heart beat slightly erratic. He glanced around and saw more people had exited the Dollhouse since when he had passed out. Elfman and Mirajane sat with Canna and Juvia as Elfman picked what looked like porcupine quills out of his arm, Juvia shuddering as she rambled about her fear of octopuses. Ariss, Evanin, Aria and Melody, it turned out, had encountered nothing more than a room full of mirrors where they were forced to criticize their appearances, doing nothing more than waste time. Breezus and Meres had been totally destroyed mentally, both of them simply staring off into space, chins on their knees while Zash, Vex, Tallon and Zadok ran around trying to be helpful.

The only ones left inside were Gajeel, Levy, Lucy, Natsu, Fried, Bixlow, Shade, Shine, and Alzack, as well as the three remaining targets, Daisy, Stitches and Bisca. Galice took this all in as his eyes darted over the scene, quickly flashing over Wendy, Finny, Wish and Shredder in the background, seeing them, but not taking in the circumstances.

The noise of thirty or so rowdy, crying, screaming, people drowned out the sounds of struggled from the small group that fought with their own shadows.

…

Finny finally succeeded in tearing the bleeding hunk of flesh from around Shredder's throat, the boy collapsing forward onto all fours, drinking air like a man dying of thirst might gulp water. The veined arm retracted into the ground and Wish gave a snarl as it did so, the wounds that had been inflicted on the shadow appearing on his own flesh.

Blood sprayed high in the air, Wendy giving a terrified shriek as the viscous liquid rained down on her.

"Oh damn, Wish." Shredder choked as he regained his breath, "My bad."

"'My bad'?" Finny screeched, "This is no time to be saying _that_, this is insane!"

"Well _duh,_" Shredder answered, spiting into the dust, "this is the Dollhouse."

…..

"Ha Ha Ha!" Bixlow laughed loudly, placing his hands on his hips triumphantly, "_Told _you I knew where I was going!"

"…. We're lost again, aren't we." Fried said this with no question in his voice this time. _Three times_ already they had been through this, _three times_.

"No, no, I'm _sure _this is the right room this time. Just go left, and… bang! You're out!"

"We are so screwed." Stitches sighed.

"Why are we following him?" Fried asked, shifting the master on his back into a better carrying position.

"Got any better ideas?" Stitches asked him with raised eyebrows.

Fried decided it was better not to answer that.

"Hey, guys! I found it! I'm serious this time! Holy…" Bixlow's excited voice trailed into shocked horror. "What the _hell_."

Fried rolled his eyes.

"I bet you ten jewels he didn't find the exit and just got himself into some psychotic room." He said to Stitches as he stepped forward. A scream that wasn't Bixlow's came from the room ahead. Halting suddenly in surprise, Fried cursed under his breath as he jogged to where Bixlow was.

Good news: It _was_ the exit.

Bad news: Outside was a living hell.

…..

Finny desperately beat a questing black paw away from her ankle as it reached up from the shade beneath her body. No matter where she went, the hole followed her, for it was past noon and, and the shadows were starting to run like spilt ink, like spilt blood. Any wounds that the group inflicted on the black beasts were instantly transferred to Wish, and would eventually result in his death if they didn't do something about it.

Shredder was doing his best to keep his knife at bay, but the killer instinct bred into him from being born and raised in the dark guild called White Noise was beginning to bubble over. He fought with what seemed to be a nightmare octopus, and wherever its tentacles touched, the suckers pulled away with a sick ripping sound, pulling flesh or cloth from its opponent depending on where touched.

Already Shredder's shirt was in tatters, blood running in rivers down his heaving sides, his almost unhealthily lean body exposed to the dying light. His eyes glittered dangerously as he wiped blood from his cut cheek.

Even as Finny watched, Shredder lashed out instinctively, slitting one of the tentacles close to the tip. A long cut suddenly opened along Wish's shin and the boy rolled onto his back convulsively, the crushed grass beneath his body running mingling red and black as the shadows around him assumed amorphous shapes.

The sky turned red with the light of the setting sun.

"Red on black on red on black on red on black…." Wish murmured dazedly, his irises fading into gray that _almost _went blue, but instead they started to darken again.

"This is crap!" Shredder raged, dancing out of range and then crying out as more skin was ripped off his back by his tentacle opponent. Wendy shivered on the ground, the blackness around her simply slurring inactively, bubbles rising to the surface and bursting with ugly little pops that released black butterflies.

"What do we do?" Finny yelled to him, "We can't dance around forever!" Even as she said this she had to dodge swiping claws.

"I don't know; wait for him to snap out of it?"

Finny simply replied with a derisive snort.

"Every second we waste like this it gets darker! When night falls there won't be anywhere to run!" she snapped.

Shredder didn't answer, sucking air through his teeth in pain as his ribs were stripped of flesh, sanguine flowing thickly from the wound. He fell to his knees and a tentacle wrapped around his neck, pulling away, blood began to spray from his jugular in what was soon bound to be a deadly stream…. The boy raised his knife and smashed downward, desperate for escape.

"Wish!" the strangled scream startled everyone, Wish included. All but Shredder looked, and if he was perfectly honest, he felt a bit ignored. He was _dying _and _no one _cared enough to watch. Darn.

Those who _did _turn to see witnessed the shambling, stumbling figure stagger across the open space between the Dollhouse and the brutal fighting. Shadowed figures rose around the person, but other dark denizens held them back, black wolves with red eyes snapping at the sick shapes around her.

"Shade!" Finny cried happily. Shredder halted his attempt to free himself from the tearing limb around his neck for a millisecond, the name catching his attention. If anyone could stop Wish it was Shade, and he would be saved!

... He hoped.

Then again, he had always wondered what it would be like to die in a world painted red….

….

"Hn." Luca grunted, consulting his magic feather, and the group behind him stopped as he came to a standstill, glaring down at the object in his palm. He rotated on his own axis a couple of times, his eyes darting in the five different directions of five available doors.

"What, lost your way?" Gajeel asked mockingly.

"No!" The boy snapped defensively, "I'm just… checking some things."

"Like….?" The Alzack asked disbelievingly.

"None of your damn business!" Luca turned and stalked off, Daisy trailing after him quickly.

"Damn brat." Gajeel swore under his breath. Something was definitely off with that kid. But what?

….

"I don't like it!" Lacie ranted, "Are you sure you can't find nii-san?"

"I can try again, but the result will be the same, Lacie. His magic is of a strange sort that he made himself, I can't break it easily. Wait a bit longer." Minnie wheedled.

"I won't! Try again!"

"Yes." Minne bowed her head obediently, closing her eyes, seeking, seeking….

The crimson eyes flashed open.

"He's blocking me, as before. Every time I try to look, it must drain his magic. If you insist I keep doing this, his body could be destroyed." The doll told the maker. The little girl pouted.

"Fine. But nii-san better come back! He better!"

"I expect he will," Minnie whispered, "I expect he will."

….

"Natsu," Lucy murmured, her head against his chest, tears drying on her face.

"Hm?"

"I hate you." Natsu stared down at her, confused. She was definitely bipolar. First she says she loves him and then that she hates him. "Even if you say you love me, you love Lisanna more."

"That's not true! We're just-"

"Just friends?" Lucy finished for him with a short bitter laugh that caused Natsu to wince, "Yeah. Like every other guy in the world hasn't used_ that_ clichéd line."

"Well I bet Gray hasn't, he doesn't ever get around to girls, and besides, Juvia-"

"That's not what this is about you idiot!" Lucy pushed herself away from him. Her fear had caused her to cling to anything, _anything_, and it just happened that Natsu was there. It was true, she loved him, she would do anything to be with him, but she wasn't so stupid as to allow herself to be with someone who'd left her to die.

Hell, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be on his team anymore.

"This is about _you, _and how _you _left me in a _hole _that led to the worst time of my _life _where I thought I was going _crazy_!" her voice raised in anger and she struggled to keep it under control. She didn't want any more attention in this nuthouse.

"I thought…. Look, I thought…."

"You _thought_? No, you don't think." Lucy said harshly.

"I thought you were an illusion!" Natsu shouted over her, "This place shows you your worst fears, and mine is you!"

"Excuse me?" Lucy said coldly, "If that were the case then I think you might have seen Erza."

"No, not Erza, you. Dead." Natsu said weakly, staring at his hands, "Everywhere. Dying, begging me for help, and every time I tried…. Every time I tried to help you…. You just…. Disappeared." Natsu brought his onyx eyes up to meet her chocolate brown. "I'm afraid to lose you."

"Don't give me that bull." Lucy said, but her voice was softer. She could see honesty in his eyes, and besides, Natsu didn't have the brains to lie. If she was talking to Loki she'd know he was talking crap to get out of trouble, but Natsu….

He was just too stupid for his own good sometimes, and other times his idiocy worked to his own advantage. Like now.

"But you and Lisanna are always…. I mean I…. I feel like a third wheel around you two." Lucy admitted in muted tones.

"Weird Lucy," Natsu told her, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, "Our relationship is nothing more than what you have with that droopy-eyed popsicle stripper."

"But you seem so close…."

"We are. But not like that." Lucy gave him a slightly mistrusting glance, "I wouldn't have left you behind if I knew it was really you. I'm sorry I'm stupid."

Lucy didn't reply, she simply allowed another tear to drop to the floor in the silence.

How was it possible to love someone so much and yet hate them at the same time?

The hatred was fading, but that time would leave its mark on her for a while yet.

But for now, she was content to sit in that shattered room with just Natsu, crying to the warm, sweet silence.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Okay people! The way things are looking now,, you can expect under 25 chapters for this story… though due to support, I WILL be writing 'Toy Box' for those who are interested…..**

** Thanks so much for reading this, and thank you for reviewing :3**

** I love you all…..**

** Oh, and this chapter reveals who Luca is, though ShinningStellar guess…. Yaaay Shinning! **

Realization

Luca shook his head blearily, staggering slightly as he tried to clear the blurring that was starting to occur in his eyes. He was so tired, so exhausted… he just wanted to lie… down…..

He jerked upright again, nearly falling asleep on his feet. She was seeking him again, it was draining his magic, and he could feel it. Using Crow Flight to find the exit and Raven's Murder to block all other magic at the same time took a huge toll on his body, and for a moment he became disoriented, his magic temporarily overridden by her searching gaze.

He could hear the metal moron behind him complaining on how he thought they weren't really getting anywhere. Luca felt the temporary urge to rip those red eyes right out of the idiot's face, those eyes that were _so like _those of that abomination that _she _kept around her. Lacie….

He shook his head again. The atmosphere of the nuthouse must be getting to him, he figured. After spending so long there it was inevitable.

The iron-face was droning behind him, and Luca suddenly had _no clue _why he tried so hard. Fine, the bastards wanted to die? So be it! He would just leave them to….

He couldn't do that. He couldn't let Lacie continue what she was doing. At first it had been harmless hassle, but now…. With people actually _dying…._The boy trudged on, wiping a thin trail of blood off his chin from where it flowed from his mouth.

His magic was slowly tearing him apart…. And yet for the sake of others he could never stop.

Too bad no one ever took notice of his efforts. No one ever took any notice of him period.

_Luca, _he thought bitterly, _Luca Nevermore, the amazing invisible boy._

…

"Wish!"

Shade collapsed onto her knees in front of the bleeding boy, who hissed violently at her, lashing out. She made no move to avoid the blow, but the shadows that writhed around her froze, as did the beasts attacking Shredder and Finny. Wish seemed to have turned all of his attention onto Shade, the girl in front of him dropping the Azreal Spear into the blood soaked grass and reaching a trembling hand for his face.

A wild light was gleaming in her eyes, and something not entirely sane was glinting in her gaze. She seemed unaware of anything around her, unaware of the danger she was in by being so close to Wish.

"They told me you were dead," she said weakly, her voice cracking in her dust dry throat, "They told me you had died."

"Shade-" Finny started, but stopped as her master's fingers brushed Wish's face.

"Wish…" she sobbed, a tear tracing its way through the cracked blood and caked grime on her face as she touched her fingertips to his cheek as if to test that he was real.

Finny opened her mouth in warning, but too late.

Wish snarled and slapped her hand away, the dark eyes darkling (A/N: Like sparkling, but black; and yes, it is a word) maliciously. He clawed at her face, tearing away the loose strips of leather that had covered her wounds and digging his cracked, jagged nails into the raw, exposed muscle, ripping into it with savage delight.

Blood poured over his hand, and Shade screamed with agony before convulsing on the ground, hand pressed over where her eye used to be. Her writhing stilled as she gave a shuddering gasp, fainting with the sheer force of the pain.

Shredder snapped.

The boy ripped the tentacle away from his throat, regardless of the sanguine that flowed out and bolted forward, towering over Wish. Without saying a word, he lifted his foot from the ground, and slammed the top into his partner's face as hard as he could, knocking the boy clear of the ground and sending him skidding across the damp grass in the dying light.

"Get a grip bastard!" the knife master yelled.

Wish's eyes faded from black to gray to violet to blue in the blink of an eye, and he seemed to come to himself in the worst way possible. He touched his stinging cheek, and feeling something wet on his hands, he looked at them.

Seeing them covered in blood, he looked around as if it couldn't possibly belong to himself. His periwinkle gaze lit upon Shade, where her hand had dropped away from her face to reveal the long, fresh scratch marks that still oozed and spurted, scoring through an already deep wound.

He stretched out a shaking hand and matched his fingers to the scars.

Raising his trembling hand to his face he simply stared at his twitching fingers for a moment before he looked up at Shredder, who stood seething over him while dripping blood, the multicolored irises as hard as diamond.

"Did I- did I- to Shade…" Wish gasped, and Shredder nodded grimly.

"Shade," Wish said feebly, "Hey, Shade, wake up." He put a hand on the uninjured side of her face. His voice broke as he continued, "Hey, Shade… you won't leave me here, right?"

"She's not dead." Shredder said flatly, "Just unconscious."

"Oh…" Wish said giving a small laugh of relief, his voice trembling with the rest of him, "That's good. That's really good…. For some reason I feel really… tired."

"You better not fall asleep you moron!" Shredder barked even as he swayed from blood loss, causing Wish to flinch away from him, "She nearly tore herself apart to get to you, so you can stay by her side until she wakes up, understand?"

"You're right." Wish said with a wavering smile that looked more like a grimacing mask of emotional agony, "You're right. I'm sorry for all this, by the way. You can do whatever you want to me later. Whatever you want."

Shredder plopped down next to Wish, slapping him on the shoulder, if a bit harder than necessary, and gave him a wolfish grin as he stuck his bone handled knife into the ground with a deep _thwock_.

"I might take you up on that later," he said, "But for now, this is enough."

Wendy ran up and dropped down between Shredder and Shade, trying to heal them both at the same time, eventually just turning to Shredder to heal his mortal wounds before trying to fix Shade's eye. Wish was confused about what Shredder had told him, but said nothing. After all, it was better not to try to fathom the depths of insanity.

He already knew that too well.

…

"Luca?" Daisy asked as the boy staggered sideways and sagged against the door, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," He replied vaguely, panting slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Who cares?" snorted Gajeel, "I don't think we're getting anywhere anyways."

"Gajeel, stop complaining. If he's lost then we're all in the same boat and should be helping each other out, not biting each other's heads off." Levy pointed out to her towering companion.

"I'm not lost!" Luca snapped, "We're only a few rooms away! We would have been out already but she shifted a whole section of rooms again!"

"Does she know we're in here?" Alzack asked.

"No. If she knew, then she'd have already come to get-…." Luca stopped himself as if he had already said too much. The rest of the group gave him a quizzical look. The boy simply took a shuddering breath and continued as if nothing unusual had occurred. "She doesn't know," he reiterated.

"So… we should keep moving?"

"Yeah, we-" Luca cut off as he doubled over, clapping a hand to him mouth as if he were going to be sick.

"Luca?" Daisy cried, running to his side and bending to look into his face. His maroon eyes were wide and terrified as he raised his face, remaining bent as if in a bow to some unseen entity.

"She's here, she has that _thing_," He said hoarsely, staggering upright and standing in front of Daisy, throwing his arms wide in a protective shield even as he nearly crumpled sideways, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "Run!" He hissed to the people behind him before turning to the empty room before him, "You can't have them!" He screamed to no one, "Go back where you came from and let them go! You… you c-can't…" the boy stumbled, nearly falling to his knees as the group watched with apprehensive confusion, "You can't kill… anymore! I won't let you!"

Red eyes glimmered angrily, jealously, in the darkest corner in the room.

"Luca nii-san!" A small voice cried, and Luca shot a furtive glance back at the mages who had followed him before he took a weak few steps forward, greeting his younger half-sibling who ran out to meet him.

"Lacie."

…

"I can't fix it." Wendy said shakily, staring down at the healed but gaping hole in Shade's face, "I can't make something out of nothing, and her eye is gone. If there were pieces I could put them together and restore her sight, but this…."

"Give her mine." Wish offered seriously, and Wendy shook her head violently.

"I couldn't do that, that would be…."

"Erza has a fake eye, it works fine, Wendy." Gray said, suddenly coming up on the group and looking around as he stretched upward, twin scars, one below the other pulling tight across his ribs. "What the hell happened over here, it looks like a massacre ground!"

"Oh nothing important," Shredder grinned as he scratched at some new patches of skin where Wendy had healed the holes in his body.

"I can't make a fake eye though…." Wendy said disappointedly.

"So just slap an eye patch on the damn thing, it probably looks gross." A voice groaned.

"Shade!" Finny, Shredder and Wish all crowded over their master at once, almost crushing her. The girl looked alarmed for half a second before Shredder purposely knocked Wish over, forcing him to land across her body.

"Ah now Wish, there are children present!" Shredder mock-chided his friend, the boy coming and up changing into about fifty different shades of scarlet as he sputtered at the knife master, who indicated Wendy.

"Y-you-! That's- Why the heck would do that?" Wish finally managed. Shredder just shrugged, a knowing smile on his face.

"Shade, Wish cried when he thought you were dead," Shredder stage-whispered for everyone to hear. Shade shot a look at Wish, who buried his face in his hands.

"That's really…." She started.

"I know it's unmanly, but I couldn't help it, I love you!" Wish cried in muffled tones.

"I was going to say 'sweet'," Shade finished, "But I think your answer is much better." She propped herself up on one elbow and brushed Wish's hand away from his sunburned-lobster colored face and kissed him briefly on the lips, causing the boy to flush worse than before.

"Come on Wendy, wouldn't want to poison your mind with things little girls shouldn't be interested in for about eight more years." Shredder said in a joking fatherly manner, wrapping his long, bony arm around her shoulder. Both Wish and Shade shot him mild glares.

He earned a light slap and a reproving glance from Finny for that, though her expression changed to an appreciative smile.

_Nice going_, she mouthed, giving him a twin thumbs up, which he answered in kind.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey hey people! I'm really happy I haven't fallen behind in posting or anything…. Um…. So yeah, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, I really have nothing important to say other than to thank you for all of your reviews… and Senbei x Cup Ramen, you will be missed! **

Ashes of what Used to be.

"Luca….?" Daisy started, confused, as the boy fell to his knees and embraced the little girl in front of him. The crow-boy apparently did not hear her, as he did not reply.

"Luca, what's wrong? You're bleeding again… you're still sick, aren't you?" Lacie seemed to become hysterical with this thought as she looked at the smears of red across her brother's face.

"No, no, I'm not sick! See?" Luca spread his arms wide and smiled, but the grin only emphasized the dark circles under his eyes that seemed etched into his pale skin, and the blood still showed faintly on his teeth, "Perfectly fine." He said.

"Don't lie! You're still coughing at night and you're always cold!" Lacie's voice had become a squeak of anxiety, and Gajeel could hardly believe that the fearful little girl in front of him had been the person they had been hiding from like frightened rabbits. Regardless, he wanted to take the bird-brained bastard in front of him and snap his spine like a twig.

"Yes, Luca-nii, you shouldn't lie." A chillingly sweet voice said from the shadows, two red spots of reflection growing into a pair of crimson eyes set into a bone-white face as another little girl approached.

"Don't call me that!" Luca roared, falling onto all fours as he lunged weakly at the new arrival, trying to bat her away, "You're a sick _thing _that's twisted Lacie's mind! Go back where you came from you hell-spawned, manipulative, soulless puppet!"

A shudder ran down everyone's spine but Lacie's at Minnie's next words.

"I am Lacie, and Lacie is me. If you can't love me, you can't love Lacie. Those who can't love Lacie…. Should die. _You should all die._" The doll said, cocking her head slightly. Luca rose to his feet and seemed to be about to do magic when interrupted.

"This is the girl who made me hurt Bisca?" Alzack's voice was flat, dead, no tone inflection to soften his words, "This is the one?"

There was a soft click as Alzack drew back the hammer on his gun and aimed at the back of Luca's head, which happened to be blocking the line of sight into Lacie's face.

"Move, Luca Nevermore." Alzack said grimly.

Luca turned his head slightly and looked at Alzack out of the corner of his eye.

"I have things I need to protect too," was his only reply. The gun went off and black feathers plumed the air as hundreds of ravens rushed from the inside of Luca's coat, conjured from nowhere to be his aid. They bore him up on their wings and cut at Alzack with their beaks, Daisy, Bisca and Levy screaming in shock, Gajeel and Shine batting the birds out of the air.

"Mom and Dad went out one day,  
>And left Lacie at home to play.<br>'Alone at last', she happily sang,  
>Clapped her hands, and danced, and sprang.<p>

Now, on the table close at hand,  
>A box of matches chanced to stand,<br>And though her parents often told her,  
>If she touched them they would scold her;"<p>

Gajeel glanced up in horror, listening to the song Lacie and Minnie began to sing in harmony, their voices blending.

"I won't let you touch Lacie." Luca hissed as he swooped past Alzack's face on winged shoes, dragging his nails like talons through the gun-slinger's face and creating shallow cuts. Alzack shot, but all he hit were a few birds who vanished in puffs of smoke.

"Lacie said, 'Oh, what a pity!  
>When they burn, they are so pretty<br>They crackle so and fire and flame;  
>It's like a little burning game.'" The little girls continued their chant.<p>

"What are they doing?" Gajeel yelled over the croaking of ravens and the gunfire, referring to the doll and her maker.

"No idea!" Shine cried back in answer, firing off a couple of sparkling arrows into the clouds of black feathers, arrows that dispersed the darkness, "It can't be good though!"

Levy was trying to work with her solid script, but every time a word was nearly completed, a bird would fly through it. Apparently, that was an effect of Raven's Murder as well.

"'I'll only light a match or two  
>Just like I've seen my mother do.'<br>But Lacie would not take advice,  
>She lit a match, it was so nice!" the two murmured. Sparks began to leap around them, and the air wavered with heat that Gajeel could feel half way across the room.<p>

Black feathers spiraled all around the room, coating the floor, the ones that drifted too close to Minnie and Lacie catching on fire and smoldering, some turning to cinder before they touched the ground, but the select few that didn't….

Small flames began to leap about feeding on the oiled feathers of well-fed ravens just as the birds would feast on carrion.

"It crackled so, it burned so clear  
>Exactly like the picture here.<br>She jumped for joy and ran about,  
>And was too pleased to put it out."<p>

The flames grew larger, and Gajeel fancied that he could see faces and shapes in the flying sparks, ashes floating with deadly accuracy to spread the fire. Lacie began to spin counterclockwise, Minnie twirling in the opposite direction.

Luca and Alzack were too involved in their battle to notice the dangers, and in fact, Alzack had either decided that to kill Lacie he needed to destroy Luca, or he had simply forgotten the little girl in the face of a much more obvious and intimidating danger such as the hordes of flesh-hungry avians. After all, the girl only dealt in mind games and illusions…. But these flames that she conjured out of her imagination looked real, felt real, _damaged _as if they were _real_.

Smoke began to sting Levy's eyes. Still unable to use Solid Script, she simply clung close to Gajeel and started to stab at crows with her pen.

Oh, that little brat was going to pay, Gajeel would make sure of it. All three of those rugrats were going to get it, no doubt about that…..

"Now see! oh what a dreadful thing!  
>The fire has caught her apron-string;<br>Her dress it burns, her arms, her hair.  
>She burns all over, everywhere.<p>

She screams for help, but all in vain  
>All she can do is scream again.<br>The fire burned up all her clothes,  
>Her arms and hands, her eyes and nose…"<p>

The words flowed faster and faster from the girls mouths, and the fire quickened pace in time to the meter of the poem. _Snap CRACK roar…. _The fire crumbled a pillar in one corner of the room. By now, Alzack had noticed the fire, and tried to haul Bisca away from it, the girl still unable to walk, weak and sick with fear and disorientation as well as the horror of the acts she had commited.

"Until she had nothing to lose  
>Except her little dancing shoes;<br>And it was these her parents found  
>Among her ashes on the ground."<p>

The fire began to turn blue-green like fire that is brought to life out of sea driftwood, the salt giving unnatural hue to the blaze, making it look like foxfire or the burning of lost souls escaped from Hell.

Something caught Shine's eye. Luca had made a landing the instant he was no longer being fired at, the birds that twirled around him vanishing in puffs of smoke and quills. He ran through the fire, one sleeve covering his mouth, and as he reached the two girls, he did something shocking.

He kicked Minnie into the fire, shielding his sister as he did. Lacie screamed, but in vain… the little doll girl fell, twisting and writhing into the molten embers, screamed loudly as he dress caught aflame…. And then grinned.

"Just kidding," she laughed over the noise, "As if you could hurt me. As if you could release me. As if you could disperse the hatred that is also in yourself…. If only you would take a step farther and give it form." She directly addressed Luca, who snarled at her.

"I won't make anything like you! You, who take advantage of a little girl's weakness, you who is not a puppet, but the _puppeteer _who uses my sister as your medium of destruction!" Lacie cried harder into Luca's shoulder and closed her eyes to the smoke, which miraculously stung her even though seconds before she had been untouched by the fire.

"Foolish boy. Don't you see Lacie? He doesn't love you. He only stayed so that he could get close and then destroy you, just like Elliot Kor." Minnie whispered darkly.

"I know," Lacie said to Minnie through her tears, "I know that what you say is true because we are one," and then "I'm sorry Luca-nii, it's better like this. This way you won't be have to work so hard to make me happy," to Luca. She picked up a splinter of wood, a burning, broken spar with a thick point, and shoved it through Luca's stomach as she finished her song, finished her dirge of destruction, blood pulsing over her hands, her brother's shocked, pleading eyes that were nearly the same color as her own glazing as he crumpled onto his side.

"And when her parents stood beside  
>The smoking ashes, how they cried!<br>The tears ran down their cheeks about.  
>But tears can't put a fire out….."<p>

The two girls made their exit, and the room exploded in flames.

…

The explosion was loud, deafening, and Finny screamed, ducking despite herself. Shade sat up at the noise, Wish whipped around, and Shredder fell over backward when he lost his balance in the shock.

The dollhouse roared in fire, full blaze under way. Galice ran over as fast as his injured leg allowed, and gave grim news through his panting.

"We're still missing…. Master Shine, Gajeel Redfox, Levy McGarden….. Alzack Connell, Bisca Mulan….. Daisy Evermore, Natsu Dragneel…. and Lucy Heartphilia!" He huffed, "Everyone is healed enough to fight their way through… to find the missing group! We await orders, Master!"

"So damn formal!" Shade cried in annoyance that was spurred by fear for her friend, "Fine, get in there! I'm following."

"I'll inform the rest!" the silver haired man cried over his shoulder, racing back to the larger group, but soon his words were swallowed by the roar of the flames.

Swallowed like so many people would be, burnt to ashes, if the mages didn't hurry.

….

"Damn it!" Gajeel snarled, grabbing Levy's hand and shielding her from the fire, "The little brats got away!"

"Luca!" Daisy screamed over the bellow of the hungry inferno and the collapsing of the building, dancing her way through the fire heedless of the searing heat.

"Daisy, what are you doing?" Shine screeched across the room as the pink haired girl desperately tried to lift Luca in a fireman's carry to drag him across the room. His long coat hid his feet as they dragged on the ground, and the black fabric caught Daisy's feet. Luca's weight and the stifling cloth caused her to fall, thudding hard onto superheated tile.

"Let me alone…." Luca groaned to her, trying to push her away feebly with one hand, "Just get out of here…. I'm not worth anything, let alone this…"

"Shut up!" Daisy snapped fiercely, "Don't put on that tough-guy act! Nobody deserves to die in a fire like this!"

Luca gave a faint smile as though amused by something.

"Guess what?" he murmured, "I'm a nobody."

Daisy made no reply but scooped him up again and began shuffling back toward a door when she found the weight was not so bad anymore… in fact, it was nothing at all! She looked up to see Gajeel shouldering the wounded boy with a look of contempt and distaste on his hard features.

"Good Lord I hate you." The dragon slayer said to the raven-boy.

"Ditto," came the reply that was supposed to be cold and full of ire but somehow was drained, and lacked the conviction necessary.

His voice was thin and brittle as if he could be snapped at any second by the slightest impact, and the Dollhouse was starting to look about the same as fire ate through floors and walls.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Before I say ANYTHING ELSE, let me say this….. CURSE YOU HIRO MASHIMA!**

**Okay…. *panting* I think I'm okay now….**

**Thank you all for reading this, and thanks extra to those of you who reviewed :) **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter! The story will start to reach the end next chapter XD**

Retrieval

The mages swarmed into the burning building, Juvia and Finny at the head to try to dampen the hellfire that roared on either side of the entrance. Shade had half her head wrapped in sooty white linen that covered the scarring, and Wish ran beside her at the back of the group. He had tried and failed to freeze such a large area in his Sluggard's time zone, and had to resort to the old fashioned way of doing things.

"Azreal Spear First Seal!" She cried, "Conquest!" The butt of the spear slammed the dust and a black ripple spread, and a section of wall was blasted away with ease, clearing fire in one section to allow a further realm of entrance. Shade and Wish darted into the opening, Shredder staying beside Finny and using his knife shield to help others slip into the mix of ashes and smoke.

They were going to take back what was theirs.

….

"Which way is out?" Shine cried, rubbing her rapidly blurring eyes desperately free of soot, "This is really going to suck if we all die!"

"Where is that damn Natsu when you need him?" Gajeel growled, shifting Luca on his shoulders, "And stop bleeding already, I'm soaked!" He snapped at his unwanted passenger.

"It's not like I _want _to bleed to death!" the crow-boy responded hoarsely, "And I can't stop bleeding at will!"

"No one would care if you died, go ahead." Alzack said harshly, not looking at the one whom he addressed, as if the boy wasn't worth his time.

"Yeah," Luca murmured, "I know."

"Just shut up and keep moving before we all burn, alright?" Daisy asked in a poisonously sweet voice; it was less of a question and more of a command.

"You're right Daisy," Shine drew and arrow from her quiver and set it to her bowstring, "Gabriel's Arrow: Fear Not,"

The arrow was released with a thrum and the arc of light that followed it quietly moved away the fire to clear a small path.

"It won't stay like that for long, so we need to go quickly, in single file." Shine announced.

"Sounds good to me," Gajeel grunted as he again shifted Luca's weight on his back, causing the boy to wince as he began to walk.

…..

"Ugh…." Shredder raised his arms to shield his face against the scorching heat that flowed in waves from the building, an ocean of fire. There was no release from the burning that plagued his flesh and his lungs were filled with smoke, but he continued to hold his own against the blaze, moving alongside Finny as she poured water onto the flames.

"You doing okay?" the water mage gave him a concerned look from the corner of her eye.

"I'm fine," he called back, "I just feel really….. useless."

Finny smiled and continued to pour liquid over the smoldering remains or the room. The liquid ash ran over Shredder's boots in sluggish tides, like gray blood that seeped from an infected wound….

"Oh, that's nasty." Finny complained, lifting one sandaled foot out of the sooty mess with distaste as the liquefied cinders crept into her shoe. Shredder tried to stifle a snort of amusement, and failed. Finny glared at him, but said nothing. Something seemed to catch her eye, and she walked through the ruins, now quite oblivious to the sticky mixture that was beginning to coat her feet.

"Are these…. Feathers?" she wondered out loud. She tried to pick one up, but it disintegrated at her light touch.

"You find something?" Wish yelled from the other room where he and Shade stood by Juvia and Gray to put out flames and allow entry of some still-waiting guild members.

"Shredder and Finny found something?" Mere's popped her head in from the other room where she quelled fire by stealing its oxygen.

"Just feathers; I don't think it means anything," Shredder said dismissively, "It could just be from that freak talking cat. Hippy? Hoppy? What was that thing's name?"

"_Happy_. And Charle I suppose." Finny said with annoyance as she realized he was probably right. She sighed, "I guess that's true. Never mind."

Shredder crossed the room and popped open another door, fire roaring out from inside. He held the crumbling, blackened door open and bowed formally to Finny.

"After you, my love," the shirtless, slightly scorched knife master said with a mocking smile.

Finny bopped him on the head as she passed, not allowing him to see the light flush on her cheeks.

….

"Okay look, this bastard is heavy, anyone else wanna carry him? I think he finally stopped bleeding. Finally." Gajeel turned to look at his cargo and was… not concerned per say… He just didn't want the brat to die after the metal man had to carry him that whole way.

His pallor was gray and his eyes were closed. However, as Gajeel spoke, the black lids flipped open to reveal that slightly hypnotic maroon gaze.

"Yeah. It stopped." The cropped answers weren't anything new, but the lack of insult was.

"I'm not carrying him. I have Bisca. And even if I didn't, I still wouldn't touch him." Alzack said shortly.

"No one asked _you_," Luca growled weakly, "You trigger happy moron." The last part was muttered under the boy's breath just in case. He had no strength left to use magic with.

"The rest of you are girls that probably are smaller than him…." Gajeel sighed, "I guess I get to keep carrying you." He shot at Luca.

"Oh goody," Came the feeble reply.

…..

Galice watched beside Wendy as every guild member that had been brought did something to help the fire in the doll house. Bixlow's dolls were being put to good use as scouts, and even Happy and Charle helped, carrying messages and buckets of water between the work teams. Steady head way was being made, and still they had come across neither corpse nor ally nor enemy.

Galice watched and waited as further rooms were excavated.

Waited and prayed.

….

"What the hell?" Gajeel opened a door expecting a bigger blaze and instead encountered a soaking wet room full of charred beams, soot-stained tiles and… burned feathers.

"Good news," Levy said, "the fire is out in this room."

"Bad news," Shine sighed, "this is the same room we fought Lacie in."

"If the fire's out, doesn't that mean some of our guild mates passed through here?" Daisy asked.

"Not necessarily," said Alzack, "that freak little girl might have come back to salvage what she could of the house."

"She wouldn't need to," Luca said faintly, "She can regenerate what she has created out of her imagination at will. And don't call my sister a freak."

"So…. Just keep walking I guess?" Daisy said confusedly. "And Luca, you're awfully pale…." The pink haired girl bit her lip worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Luca said with the barest trace of a smile, "I'm just tired is all."

"You're a really bad liar." Daisy replied.

…..

"Juvia, water over here please," Shade commanded from beside Wish, where he froze a cracking pillar as well as the fire's progress, "If we put that out we can reach the door behind it."

"Juvia agrees," the rain woman said softly as she dumped water that spiraled from her fingers onto the pillar. Gray froze the stream to give the breaking beam support before Juvia turned her icy showers onto the door itself.

"WHAT THE HELL?" came one voice.

"Ugh, that's cold…" a hoarse, pale sort of voice added.

"Hey… HEY! THAT'S COLD! KNOCK IT OFF DAMMIT!" the first voice roared again.

Juvia was shocked into stopping the flow of water as cried issued from the door. The words that were shouted were somewhat covered by shocked screams and a stream of curses, but the icy dousing halted all the same.

An extremely disgruntled Gajeel clambered over a pile of steaming wood, a black coated figure slung over his shoulders, both dripping wet. After him came a splashed Alzack and a damp Bisca, followed by Daisy, Levy, and Shine, all pleasantly dry, having used Gajeel's huge frame as a shield.

Gajeel walked right up to Juvia, perhaps a bit closer than necessary, and looked down his nose at her.

"What was that?" he asked angrily.

"Juvia is sorry! Juvia was trying to put out the fire! ...who's that?" the rain woman pointed to Luca. Currently, his sopping green-black hair hung over his face, but his maroon irises glowed from beneath the streaming locks. Juvia backed up half a pace, whether because of Gajeel or the unknown person, no one knew.

Gajeel opened his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by a loud squeal.

"SHINE!" There was a loud crash as Shade tackled her adopted twin. Wish sighed and went to dig them out of the rubble.

After retrieving the pair, he walked back, Shine at his side and Shade clinging pathetically to her twin and being dragged along the floor.

"I missed you~" Shade cried.

"I missed you too, but you're strangling me!"

"Oh, sorry!"

"Juvia still wants to know who that is."

Gajeel made to reply, but was again cut off as Luca started coughing. A small stream of blood and saliva splattered onto the floor and smeared on Gajeel's shoulder.

"Oh, gross! Stupid brat! Get off already damn it!" Gajeel lifted Luca off his back and placed him on the floor, face up. The boy was shaking violently after being doused with ice water on top of his illness, not helped by the fact that his body was wracked with choking coughs that hardly allowed time for breath. His wound had reopened in a couple places as well.

"Luca!" cried Daisy in panic, kneeling at his side and help him to sit up. The boy raised one draping sleeve to cover his mouth and waved Daisy away.

"Don't say 'I'm fine' again retard!" Daisy snapped at him, "Any fool can see you're not!"

Luca took a wheezing gulp of air, eyes streaming.

"Fine," he replied, "I won't."

"_Juvia would like to know who that person is!"_ The rain woman was sick of being ignored.

"Chill out Juvia, I'm sure _someone _will get around to telling us if it's important."

"Yes Gray-sama."

"My name is Luca Nevermore," The boy announced.

"He's Lacie's older brother," Alzack said coldly, setting a nearly recovered Bisca down. Her knees buckled, but she was able to stand. This was indeed a bombshell, but not nearly as much as what Wish said next.

"Hey! You shot me!" He cried accusingly to Bisca. The gunslinger gasped and tears welled in her eyes. Shade narrowed her dark eye and glared at Bisca with such venom one could practically _see _the waves of hatred beaming across the room. If looks could kill, Bisca would have dropped on the spot.

"Did'ja guys find something?" Shredder's head popped up over a broken wall that Finny jumping up and down to see over, "Oh, hey, Daisy! And…. Dude," He greeted, indicating Daisy and then Luca.

"I have a name," Luca said sullenly.

"Huh, if I feel like asking, I'll let ya know! Metal man! You made it!" the knife master grinned at Gajeel.

"Yeah, unfortunately, so did you." Gajeel growled.

"Yup~! And so did Shine, and… oh. I was hoping you guys got eaten or burned or mutilated or something," Shredder's multicolored gaze lit upon Alzack and Bisca with hatred perhaps not entirely deserved.

"Well, this has been a nice reunion," Shine said placidly from between the people exchanging death glares.

"Juvia wants to know what we're doing with Lacie's brother. Isn't he the enemy?"

"Yes," Gajeel said flatly.

"No," exclaimed Daisy.

"In a manner of speaking," Shine announced.

"Juvia is confused."

"As are we all…." Shredder said sagely nodding his head.

…..

"They're all leaving!" Lacie screamed frantically, "All my friends, all leaving!"

"I know a way to stop them," Minnie said softy.

"How? How?" Lacie asked, "Tell me! They're even taking my onii-san!"

"Well, just like Luca-nii… if we kill them, they'll never leave."

"All of them?" Lacie squeaked, "If we kill them, we can't play…"

"True," Minnie said, "But they'll never betray you again."

"Okay…. Use all the remaining dolls and…. And…. I can't do it! I don't want them all to _die_!" Lacie wept, "Even if they leave me alone, I don't want them to _die_!"

"You might not want them to die… but I'll kill them all. I can read your heart, and what you fear most is loneliness…. If they die, then they can live in your heart."

"Minnie…."

"I can't let anyone take you away… _ever_." Lacie's lower lip trembled but she found that she could not protest. "Ever."

Minnie raised her hand, and dolls began to stir…..


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hay guys! I HIT 100 REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Please, after you reach the end of this chapter, don't kill me. Please. I swear, being the author, I will FIX the story, so don't stop reading!**

**And please, feel free to review. **

Wendy kneeled by Luca's side, hands trembling and eyes to the floor as she worked on him; his eyes were defiant even in his weakened state, and his red glare was even scarier the Gajeel's, if only for the reason that he wasn't one of her guild members.

The hole in his stomach healed over at an abnormal rate, and Wendy lifted her trembling fingers from the raven boy.

"That's it for the injury," she said timidly, "but you overused your magic, so you'll be weak for a while…."

"Damn it…." Luca huffed angrily, gaining his feet, "And thanks… um… kid." The thanks was given in a grudging tone, but coming from Luca it was as good as any other person getting on their knees and kissing Wendy's feet.

"You're ALIVE!" Daisy squealed happily, throwing her arms around Luca's neck and jumping up and down. Luca's arms pin wheeled in the air for a moment as he lost his balance.

"I never _died_!" the crow-boy told the excited girl as he regained his equilibrium and planted both feet firmly on the ground. Daisy now hung from Luca's neck, both feet off the floor, vermillion eyes glittering happily.

"So what _are _we doing with him?" Gajeel asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the now half-strangled young man, who sent a flashing red glare in his direction at those words.

"He's not really a threat," Shade said dismissively, "We can always hold the threat of killing his sister against him."

"What?" Luca snarled, and a couple of feather's drifted down from the sleeves of his long overcoat.

"She's done enough damage that even by the Council's standards she could deserve death." Shine added with a sigh, "Even though I would dislike it… she's so young…"

"_Don't. You. Touch. Her," _Luca bit out jerkily, red eyes shining with fury.

"Don't give us a reason to," Shade said coolly, "Remember; you hold no loyalty to us. We have to use _something _to keep you in check,"

Luca turned his gaze to the ashy floor and said nothing else.

"Okay, anyways, we're still missing…." Shine took a quick look over the crowd she could see, "Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartphilia, is that correct?"

Gajeel glanced around as well.

"Yup, that's all," he affirmed.

"Cool, let's do this." Shredder grinned fiercely.

"If only to get out of this madhouse…." Finny sighed form beside him as the whole crowd began moving forward in search of the final missing guild mates.

…..

"What's that sound?" Natsu asked into the silence. Lucy raised her head with a questioning look in her brown eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"And it smells weird…." Natsu continued, scratching his nose with discomfort, "all smokey and…. Gross."

"Um, I don't smell anything," Lucy said.

"Weirdo, of course _you _can't," Natsu huffed, "You're not a dragon slayer!"

"If dragon slayers are all barbarians like you and Gajeel, no thanks! Poor Wendy, the last _courteous _dragon slayer…." Lucy shook her head in mock pity.

"Yeah, whatever," Natsu muttered, mind obviously elsewhere. He stood up gazing warily at the door on their left.

"Natsu?" Lucy stood up beside him and followed his gaze.

"You stay here," he said keeping his face toward the exit and narrowing his eyes, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'll be right back."

"Um…. Okay…" Lucy said worriedly, biting her lip, her pink gown swirling around her. Natsu walked away, looked at Lucy one last time, and disappeared into the other room.

…..

_Pink is too pale a shade for her. Red would suit her far better._

_ All red._

_ Red skin, red hair, red eyes, red cloth…._

_ Red as rubies, red as blood…._

_ Enough red to paint the world. _

…_.._

Shredder's lazy and ever present grin suddenly fell, his eyes narrowing minimally, but the small action was enough to alert most of the group around him. Treading at the back of the group as he had been, there should have been no sound but the dripping behind his scarred back, but something was off…. He listened closer.

_Scuff-scuff_ went the sounds, _scuff-scuff scuff._

Footsteps

"We're being followed," he murmured to Finny. Bending close to her ear, "And I don't think the stalker is going to ask us to play Mahjong to stall,"

Finny's gray eyes darted back and she was about to turn, but Shredder stretched upward quickly in a natural movement that shielded her from view.

"Ahh, feels good to stretch!" he bent back over and whispered harshly to his companion, "Don't _look_, that'll give away our advantage. Pass the word up the chain 'till it reaches Shade and Shine,"

Finny nodded and muttered the warning to Ithiel, who passed it to Meres, who passed it to Breezus, who passed it to Levy, who passed it to Gajeel, who passed it to Wish…. Finally reaching the guild masters, the pair turned back to look at Shredder.

Shaking their heads in a sign of warning but flicking their gaze behind him, Shredder gave a small wave of acknowledgement. He was to do nothing… yet. When he deemed the timing correct, he would be allowed to move.

After all, the he was an ex-assassin, the elite of moving unseen and unheard; he hadn't done any such thing for a long time, perhaps getting a bit rusty. He had grown perhaps a bit cocky, preferring to fight in the open with the reckless abandon he craved, though not against people anymore. Only monsters and beast, not people.

…..

Lucy sat quietly in the room, ears pricked for any hint of Natsu's return, sounds of battle, or the strange noise Natsu had heard before.

Nothing.

The celestial mage wondered what it would be like to have the senses of a beast; useful more than likely, fun to use probably. She fingered her keys gratefully and for a sense of comfort. She didn't need the senses of beasts when she carried friends in her pocket that had that ability. Selecting a key out of her pouch, she turned it silently in the air to summon Plue. It was far too quiet, and she was scared, but she didn't have enough energy to summon any other spirit. She waited to see her adorable white dog-snowman materialize before her, thinking of how warm and comforting his short fur would be as she picked him up. She wanted to pet his small fluffy head and hold his trembling body in her arms.

She never got the chance.

….

Shredder finally snapped, unable to hold it any longer; he had to take action, to fight…. But he restrained that small part of himself that lusted for the total insanity of an unprovoked killing spree.

His sudden moves startled few; they had already witnessed the exchange between Shredder and the masters and knew what was coming. One instant the knife master was there, the next instant he was gone, vanished like a waif.

The next thing that came was a soft thump as a body hit the floor. A moment later, a Shredder came in to view, dragging an armed man whose head lolled lethargically, knocked unconscious by a deft blow to the neck, preformed by Shredder.

"Any ideas on who the hell this is?" he asked of the crowd, lifting his prey a bit into the air. There were negative movements and negations all around. With a shrug, Shredder let go of his quarry, the man's head smacking the ground with a thud.

As if that were a signal of some sort, the room was suddenly crawling with unknown persons.

"Dolls!" Shade cried from the front of the room as she blocked a machete with her spear shaft and threw the attacker to the ground, "Don't kill them, just put them out of action!"

Shredder laughed with the thrill of the fight, blood spraying across his bare chest as he slammed his empty fist into an opponent's face, breaking his nose, while blocking a flailing kitchen knife that was in the hand of a teenage girl. Finny fought at his back, encasing people's heads in water long enough to render them unconscious before removing their bonds and allowing them to slump to the floor.

"Where are they coming from? They're like ants in your kitchen, you have no clue how they got there!" Levy shouted over the din.

Gajeel shrugged, and clocked an old woman with the metal beam that was his arm.

….

Natsu slunk through the dark rooms one at a time, wary and alert to attack. The strange sound was growing louder, and the dragon slayer recognized it as the keening wails of a young girl. The clarion was accompanied by the hideous smell of decay and smoke, blood and death, cinders and iron. The scent that was on Lucy when she had come to him in the doll trance.

The salmon haired boy pushed open a wooden door bound with steel bolts, entering a stone chamber with generated carpets and illusory pillows in the corners that were pattered and frilly, but dirty and in need of washing. The crying hitched in the invisible person's throat as the open door spread light into the darkest corners. Setting his hand ablaze, Natsu peered into the muffling shadows.

"Lacie!" he cried, more in shock than anger, but that was changing, quickly. He stalked forward and stood over the cowering girl with fury blazing in his onyx eyes. "Where's the doll?" he growled. Lacie raised her smudged face, terror in her violet eyes.

"I don't know!" she wept, "She left to do things on her own!" the girl's eyes widened with a sudden realization, "You're friends with Lucy-chan, right? You know where she is?"

"And if I do? Do you know how much suffering you've put her through?" Natsu roared. Lacie flinched, but raised her face with horror that overcame her fear of Natsu.

"Go back to her!" Lacie screamed, "Go back! Quickly, before she's killed!"

"What?"

"Lucy-chan…." Lacie halted and choked on a sob, "Lucy-chan was the only one who really treated me like a human, not a monster!" she wailed, "And Minnie set all the dolls free to kill the intruders in the Dollhouse! Lucy can't… Lucy can't…. she can't summon any…." The little doll maker broke down in anguish.

Natsu was gone before she could blink, and with him went the light.

…..

"This is taking too long!" Shade growled, "I didn't want to have to use this…."

"Are you breaking the second seal?" Wish asked nervously.

"Yeah. Duck," The spear point in question was slammed into the ground so hard it struck sparks, "Azriel Spear Second Seal: War!"

A pulse of red energy rippled through the room, blasting away all the enemies and forcing them to the floor. The red tide formed into smokey bonds that left the dolls in contorted positions on the ground, unable to move.

"There," Shade panted, holding herself up with her spear, "That took more energy than I thought, but it worked!"

"Gabriel's Arrow: Speak no More," Shine said, pointing the bow to the sky and releasing a white arrow. The arc of light that followed it shot further into the Dollhouse. "Natsu-kun and Lucy-chan are they way," she announced, pointing toward the light.

"Why didn't we do that in the first place?" Luca muttered.

Daisy gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but said nothing.

….

The scent that hit Natsu like a wall as he swung open the door alone was enough to send him to his knees, and pure shock alone kept him standing. This was no illusion. This was no lie.

Lucy lay on the floor in a widening pool of blood, eyes wide with shock. A large rent had been run through her throat hitting the carteroid artery; this delivered a swift death of bleeding out within two minutes tops.

Natsu simply stood in the doorway, eyes fixed on the woman in front of him. No feeling became his body, and he was too torn to even cry.

Natsu felt nothing at all as he stepped forward into the room where the stellar mage he loved lay in utter destruction, and he wondered if she was with her spirits, high in the heavens, watching the scene below.

They said that rain was the tears of angles.

He wondered if she was crying.

He wondered if it was raining.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hallo guys! I'm sorry the last chapter didn't have a title I meant to put it on, but forgot. It was title Broken Toys as the header of the story in case you were wondering…. But thanks for all your wonderful reviews of semi-hatemail, at least I know that you are in to the story…. And I hope you enjoy this one!**

**Thanks if you're still with me at this point, our story may be beginning to draw to a close… my prediction of this story ending under 25 chapters still stands.**

**Oh, and thanks to ShinningStellar for pointing out that my story had accidentally been placed in the 'humor' category rather than the 'horror' category… I'm sorry to all you poor people who started reading this because you thought it would be funny. **

Grief

"Hey, the light thread is fading…." Levy's voice broke the stillness with disappointed airs as she pointed up at the glittering trail that was indeed becoming fainter with each passing second.

"I think we're almost at the end of it," Daisy told her thoughtfully as she walked arm in arm with Luca; rather, she clung to his arm, and he walked, though he made no move to shake the girl off. "After all, we've been walking for a while. The Dollhouse can't be never-ending, can it?"

"I wouldn't think so," Finny joined in from behind, "Even magic has its limits."

"Smells like blood," Gajeel said shortly, a low growl in his voice.

"Really?" Shredder asked excitedly. He was ignored.

"What?" Levy looked up at Gajeel worriedly, and he kept his gaze straight ahead. Pushing to the front of the group, Gray grabbed the dragon slayer's elbow, Erza at the ice mage's side.

"What's up ahead?" Erza asked seriously, arms folded and posture erect, shoulders back and chin held high in defiance of her fear. Not fear for herself, of course, or those around her. There was strength in numbers…. But she had no way of knowing where Natsu and Lucy were, if they were together, if they were all right….

"Can't say for sure," Gajeel answered brusquely, the smell beginning to get to him.

He started forward again, but Gray and Erza brushed past him. The crowd had long since come to a standstill as Shine tried to reestablish the light path.

The Gray pulled open the door after crossing the room, heedless of the questions sent his way by Shade and Shine, and his eyes widened with shock. He stretched his arms out wide so fast that they blurred in the air, and the ball of flames that shot out of the room sent his ice shield into puddles faster than one could blink.

Gray stood and stared, mouth working without sound. Erza came beside him, getting up off the ground from where she had ducked the superheated projectile, and looked in as he began to tremble slightly with emotion, and she fell to her knees, hand over her mouth.

There, by the doorway, sat Natsu, Lucy's head cradled in his lap. For an instant one might think that she was sleeping, her arms at her side and her eyes closed, but something was off about the picture. Natsu's trademark scarf was instead wrapped around Lucy's throat, and even then one could see the huge amounts of blood that had been spilled from the blonde.

Donned in a pink ball gown that had been dyed red at the shoulders and wearing a dirty, bloodstained scarf, she lay in a repose she was unlikely to ever wake from. Across the floor were thick smears of red and congealing puddles of the viscous liquid, drying all faster due to the emotional waves of flame that pulse off of the dragon slayer like a heartbeat.

His onyx eyes were dry, but the expression on his face portrayed more sorrow, more anger, more self hatred then a thousand tears could ever show.

"I wasn't here for her," Natsu said in a voice more broken than anyone had ever heard, or probably would hear again. He raised his eyes from her face and looked at the crowd in front of him as people silently filed into the room where he sat and formed a semicircle a respectful distance from the grieving boy. Levy collapsed into a sobbing heap and had to be held up by Gajeel, who looked away. Shade and Shine cried silently, Finny sobbed into Shredder's arm, Bisca wailed in the back of the group. Hardly a single eye was dry. "I couldn't help her."

Wendy ran forward, shoving her way desperately through the crowd, even as Galice tried to stop her. So young, and to see such carnage…. He could see that no amount of healing magic could help the stellar mage at this point. It broke his healer's spirit to even think that, but if the little Sky Maiden killed herself trying, that would do no one any good. That would leave two dead and none saved, and Fairy Tail more shattered than it already was with the loss of one of its members.

The blue haired girl fell to her knees beside the blonde, and Natsu looked at her, his gaze lost, as though somewhere he was searching for an answer as to _why _this would happen, _why _it hadn't been him, _why _there was evil enough in the world to take people's lives; no, not people's lives, why there was evil enough in the world to take _Lucy's _life of all people.

She was the best person ever, and here she was lying on the ground like a broken toy. A windup doll that's key had run down for the last time.

Wendy stretched out her hands over Lucy, but she must have known that it was much too late already, for she refused to look, sobbing so hard her small frame shook as she shut her eyes, head down.

After a moment her hands fell, and her forehead touched the hot floor, boiling tears spilling onto the ground.

"Wendy," Natsu said weakly, and then weaker still, "Wendy…. Help." His voice began to rise with panic, the volume climbing. "Please Wendy! Please, please, please, please….."

His voice died in his throat as the small girl shook her head, too distraught for words, face turned toward the floor.

Natsu sent forth an animalistic ululation (_a/n: I love that word; ululation_) of utter grief, the tears finally beginning to flow as he held Lucy close to him, her limp, rapidly cooling form offering no resistance as he cradled her tightly to his chest. There was no suffocating laughter or light fists beating on his arms as there would have been if she had been still alive.

Happy walked across the room slowly, tail dragging and shoulders slumped. He crawled pathetically onto Lucy's stomach and hung there, crying. The three of them had been together, had been a team, and now there was a piece missing. Natsu thought of the times of when it was just him and Happy. They were good times, yes, but when Lucy arrived, things had become infinitely better.

Natsu couldn't stop the flow of memories that sped through his mind. Meeting in Onibus, their first job together fighting with the Vulcan that was Macao, breaking into her apartment at random times and sometimes waiting for her all day just so he could surprise her….

This was a hundred, no, a _thousand _times worse than losing Igneel.

At least when he lost Igneel there was a chance that the dragon was still alive.

…

"Only one death occurred," Minnie said moodily, "the rest of the dolls were defeated by the main group."

"Who…. Who died?" Lacie cried desperately, and Minnie seemed shocked by her reaction.

Finally having reappeared after watching the defeat of the dolls in the main room, Minnie had found Lacie's heart much harder to read, to reach, and her own energy was draining. She hadn't thought it was possible, but perhaps…. Perhaps….

"Lucy Heartphilia. Though with her death, I think we may have brought down the fire dragon slayer. He looks nearly ready to self destruct if you understand my meaning," Minnie replied tiredly with a hint of smugness. Out of all the people in the Dollhouse, the flaming dragon slayer had the strongest resolve the mental audacity to ignore her illusions.

Maybe he was just stupid.

Lacie halted all movement and turned slowly to Minnie.

"Lucy-chan…. You killed Lucy-chan?"

Minnie detected a sudden change in tone, as well as a swift drop in energy flow. There was no point to lying when the person you wished to hide things from was your creator and you were nothing more than a solidified extension of their emotions that fed on their thoughts.

"Yes," the doll answered simply. No reason to lie. No reason to care.

And yet…. That felt…. Wrong.

"Why? Why would you do that?" Lacie's eyes welled with tears, "Lucy was my friend!"

"She was going to leave because she loved the dragon slayer more than she loved you," Minnie murmured, looking at her hands. She felt unaccountable ashamed of herself. Guilt: a feeling totally foreign to Minnie. She had sent it upon many, but never received any on her own.

Never before had she been made to feel worthless.

"I was okay with that!" Lacie wept, "If I really loved her then I would be okay as long as she was happy!"

"That's a lie…." Minnie whispered, wringing her hands.

"It's not a lie if I believe it!" Lacie cried.

"But your heart says otherwise,"

"I could have suffered for her!" Lacie ranted her fury and sorrow building with each word, "I could have stood it for the only person who showed genuine compassion to me!"

"I'm…. sorry," Minnie mumbled, closing her eyes. If she had been human, she would have cried.

"What?" Lacie asked, stopping her tantrum to make room for surprise.

"I'm sorry," Minnie said, more loudly than before, "I'll fix it."

"You can…. _Fix _that? You can bring her back?" Lacie asked joyously, jumping up.

"If that is…. What you wish. But there is a price," Minnie's voice faded as she spoke, "A grievous price."

"I don't know what grievous means," Lacie told Minnie.

"Terrible. A terrible, terrible price to pay," Minnie said, looking into her master's eyes.

Crimson met violet, fear met resolve, and apprehension met empathy.

"Name it."

…..

Natsu's heart seemed to have ceased beating, and around him the world kept spinning. Gray came forward and told him they needed to leave, that it was dangerous, that he could grieve elsewhere. It may have seemed insensitive, but there was truth in his words, and even as he spoke there were tears in his own eyes.

Natsu wouldn't have given a damn if he turned to stone sitting where he did, Lucy with him. In fact, he would have liked it. The soft release from the hell on earth that lacked Lucy.

He was in somewhat of a state of denial. One part of him throbbed with two words at every beat of his heart.

_"She's dead, she's dead, she's dead….."_

While the other half cried loudly over the first, denying all of his senses.

_"That can't be, she _has _to be alive, Lucy wouldn't die without me, she's alive."_

"Natsu, come on…" Gray urged quietly, "We'll take her somewhere else."

"No."

"Listen, I know, I _know_ how much it hurts, but we have to go, or else others might die here!"

"No."

"….. alright. A while longer then," the ice mage consented, "Can I sit here?"

Natsu gave no reply, but Gray sat anyways, taking the lack of 'No.' to mean 'yes'.

The whole group, Midnight Sun and Fairy Tail alike stood or sat in reverent silence for Lucy. Lucy, who, while not the strongest mage there was, definitely had more guts than most, and _definitely_ more love then most. And even when her patience ran out, she still had a smile or two to give away out of the abundance of happiness that had been her home.

The joy she had that had lived in Fairy Tail, and the joy she had _been_ that lived in Fairy Tail.

As Natsu shook with grief, he suddenly stiffened and raised his head, his lip curling in a snarl over his teeth, and the heat that had nearly died out flared around him once more, hotter and hotter until the air around him wavered, and Lucy's dress singed at the edges.

"Her," he spat, and that single word contained more venom than a thousand black mambas.

The double doors across the room swung inward, and a much hated pair came through.

Lacie stood, in excellent posture, hands behind her back, slightly in front of a now very subservient and weak looking Minnie.

"_What do you want?" _Natsu bellowed at them, not moving from where he sat, but sparks began to swirl in the furnace that was the room.

"We… _I,_" Lacie corrected, "Want to repair the damage that I caused."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: To Chocopipe: Yeah, I forgot who, but someone else said that too! What's funny is, I didn't even notice until they said something! Then I was like, o, crap, this seems really 'Pandora Hearts'-ish!**

** To the rest of you, and Chocopipe too, thanks for your reviews!**

** This is the last 'chapter', although there will be an epilogue….**

** And in case anyone wonders, the last two sections take place in the manga as I tried to blend my story into the real storyline. **

A Life Continued, a Life Ended and a New Story Begun

"Fix?" Natsu asked in tones trembling with rage, "You can't _fix _this! You can't do _anything _about this! _She's dead!_"

Lacie simply stood and looked at him, hands behind her back.

"_Dead_," Natsu continued, "And nothing…. Nothing is going to…." The dragon slayer bent his head over Lucy's body, eyes closed against the weight of his sorrow, "Nothing is going to bring her back." His voice trailed as if even he didn't quite believe the words that were coming from his mouth.

"Ah… Lacie!" Luca cried, angry, worried, scared, and elated all at the same time, shoving his way to the head of the crowd.

The little girl shook her head and raised a hand to stop him. He complied with surprise and stayed at the front of the group, looking at her.

"Sorry Luca-nii," she said with a small smile, "For hurting you I mean."

"Lacie-"

The doll maker turned back to Natsu with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm really, really sorry about Lucy-chan. Tell her that for me, will you?" Lacie asked him.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu replied with a question of his own, voice flat.

"I found out a way to bring her back," Lacie murmured, but in the silence, the sentence was clearly audible.

"A way to… bring her back?" Gray repeated from Natsu's side. Until now he had been speechless in the face of Lucy's killer.

Natsu simply stared blankly. He wanted to believe it so bad, he _needed _to, but fear of having his only shred of hope stripped away kept him from taking any action.

Quite suddenly, and odd phenomenon occurred. Bright sparks completely unrelated to the heat glittered in the air behind Lucy and Natsu, and one by one, Lucy's spirits began to appear.

Plue, Aquarius, Scorpio, Aries, Taurus, Hologium, Crux, Virgo, Gemini, the whole group, and at their head stood Leo.

"Please, doll maker," Loke said solemnly, kneeling into a low bow, "Bring back our master. We'll do whatever you ask."

At the same time Loke finished, the spirits began to murmur their personal pet names for Lucy.

"Puuuuu…." Plue crooned softly, wiping tears off his furry face.

"Princess," Virgo said quietly.

"Bitch," Aquarius growled through her tears, which surprised everyone.

"Dude," Scorpio muttered.

"Nice Body!" Taurus wailed.

"Please bring back Lucy!" Loke cried from his bow, raising his head to look at Lacie from where he kneeled on the floor. The little doll master walked forward and gave a sad little smile to Loke.

"You're very loyal, aren't you, mister lion?" she asked him, and Loke gazed at her, a bit confused.

"I owe Lucy something very precious," Loke replied softly, and for an instant his eyes darted to Aries, whose frail body was wracked with sorrow.

"I see…. I too, owe Lucy something precious," Lacie turned back to Natsu, "Tell her…. Tell her I want to skip rope with her some time… it'll be a long time from now, I hope, but tell her I'll be waiting to play,"

"Lacie!" Minnie cried, panic on her face, "Please Lacie, please don't do this! Please, please!"

"Sorry Minnie…. I have to."

"No!" the smaller girl screamed, "No you don't! I don't…" she choked on her words, "I don't want to leave yet…."

"We'll be together Minnie, together at last," She raised her gaze to the ceiling, a small broken in portion of it revealing a crimson sky as the sun clawed at the heavens in a last desperate attempt to stay up in its domain. A single tear traced down her face as she closed her eyes, a faint wind stirring her skirts as her form faded into nothing, starting at her toes and slowly traveling up her body until her face was barely visible.

"I understand, Luca-nii," she said with a smile, "I finally understood."

There was a thud and a clatter in the same instant as Luca fell to his knees and covered his head with his hands and Minnie collapsed, reduced once more to a pile of bones.

"Ha…. Hahaha…." The muffled laughter shocked everyone. Luca jolted upright, still on his knees and laughed through his tears, "Hahahahahaha! You made it Lacie," He cried, "You finally let go!"

"Luca?" Daisy asked a bit fearfully, crouching beside the seemingly unhinged boy, "Luca, what…."

"Ha…. Haha…. You never heard the way Lacie told her captivity, did you?" he asked her, brushing his green-black hair out of his eyes, "Did you?"

"…No," Daisy answered, wondering where Luca was going with his words.

"She said she found the bones of a child and formed Minnie… but in reality…. She shaped the doll out of her own body." The raven boy murmured, "She died, but her soul didn't let go of its hatred for Mother. She just sat down there, haunting the place, and Mother would go down and try to get her to leave, but in the end Lacie just animated a doll made of her own corpse… Her spirit finally let go of the hate. She's…. free." Luca smiled, "She finally understood that love is something more than just staying by someone's side… sometimes you have to let go if it's in the other person's best interest."

A sudden cry called everyone's attention back to Natsu, Gray, and Lucy. Gray had scrabbled backwards a few feet in shock, completely caught off guard. Loke pushed forward to get a look as Natsu simply took in a shuddering breath and fought to grasp oxygen.

Lucy's chest had a faint rise and fall to it. She was still horribly pale, almost certainly anemic, but the wound in her neck had miraculously disappeared.

She opened her eyes slowly like a person waking from a coma and looked uncomprehendingly into Natsu's tear dampened face, the dragon slayer simply staring back in shock.

Lucy reached sluggishly and put her hand to Natsu's cheek.

"You're really warm…" she sighed, fingers brushing a stray tear from his face.

"Lucy," Natsu gasped. He held her to him, tightly, never wanting to let go. His heart felt as if it would burst with emotion and he could only say her name again, "Lucy."

"Hmmm…?" she breathed, eyes closed. She was unimaginably tired, she just wanted to sleep, and Natsu's flaming warmth just made it so much easier to fall asleep… only thing was, his embrace was crushing her, and she couldn't breathe. "Natsu," she mumbled through a mouthful of his vest, "You're squishing me."

He laughed, but he didn't let go.

…

After much crying, reuniting, explanations, apologies and the like, the 'Midnight Fairies', as they dubbed themselves for lack of a temporary team name, made it to the edge of the Dollhouse territory; or rather, what was left of it. Blackened, bloodstained grass, and sooty broken building glowed silver in the light of a hazy half moon that beamed from behind a dispersing pall of smoke.

They had been through so much together, they were more than just a temporary team forged for the good of Fiore, but they were less than a guild.

They were friends.

Well, most of them anyways.

"Can we leave him here?" Gajeel snarled, pointing angrily at Shredder as the half-naked boy twirled around happily in the dead grass, "I can't handle this for another three days."

"Handle what? You're just jealous because you know I'm way cooler than you~" Shredder laughed. Finny facepalmed from beside him.

"Argh!"

Behind them, Bisca held Alzack back from trying to throttle Luca, who stood with his arms crossed beside and irate Daisy.

"That bastard, just one bullet, _just one bullet_, come on Bisca…!"

"If you do anything to Luca I'll do things to you that you didn't know could be _done!_" Daisy screeched. Luca gave her a sidelong look.

"No really, it's okay Daisy,"

"It is _not okay_, you need to start caring for yourself more!"

"Okay okay let's go," Wish huffed, walking in between the bickering people, "I'm ready to go home, at any rate."

"Let's go!" Kova and Kazin cried together.

….

Four days later (the Onibus Expressway was down for a day and a half) the Fairies came into sight of their beloved guild. Erza herself had to resist the urge to run up to the gates and force her way inside.

Others weren't so controlled.

"WE'RE BACK!" Natsu roared, spewing flames everywhere and scaring the crap out of the normal guild members at the bar, more than a few of them spilling drinks.

"Yeah!" Happy shrilled, spiraling up to the ceiling and back.

"You stupid flame brain! We came back less than a minute ago and you already burned a table!"

"Shut up popsicle!" Natsu replied, "At least I'm happy we're back!"

"So am I!"

"Prove it!"

"Guys, cut it out and enjoy the Magnolia air why don't you?" Lucy sighed, slightly irritated.

"Ah, Lucy…" Natsu returned to her side instantly, leaving Gray hanging as far as trading insults went.

"What's the matter with you? You've been trailing after me like a lost puppy ever since we came back!" the stellar mage pointed out.

"Well, um…. Uh…."

"Yes?"

Mira winked at Natsu behind Lucy's back from her place beside Fried. The dragon slayer gave the bar tender a nervous smile and looked at Lucy. He opened his mouth to speak when Bixlow walked by.

"Her Mira, I thought you should get a look at this," he put a picture in the takeover mages hands and kept walking, smirk set on his face. Both Lucy and Natsu turned to look as Mirajane's eyes widened.

"Did he… no, he _wouldn't_!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Fried…. Why are you in a dress?" Mirajane asked sweetly.

The rune mage went deathly pale and his dark eyes glittered with hatred as he slowly turned to look at Bixlow's retreating back.

"BIXLOWWWWWWWW!"

The doll master laughed and started running.

"What was it you wanted to tell me, Natsu?"

The dragon slayer just shook his head, nerve gone after seeing Fried try to stab Bixlow to death. It looked like a bad omen.

…

The next few weeks were insane. Fairies rushed around like chickens with their heads cut off doing multiple jobs in quick succession or many jobs at once. Lucy came in and sat down at the bar, having just come from her apartment where she had been slightly violated by Canna's sudden appearance into her home while she was bathing.

"I'm back!" Gray yelled, super-speed walking across the room, right past Lucy, shirtless of course.

"Gray, where are your clothes?"

"No time for that now, on to the next job!" he called over his shoulder.

"I'm going on a job!" Natsu shouted, running out the door.

"Wait, if you're going on a job…." Lucy cried after him.

"Sorry, I'm going solo for a while!"

"Mira, what's going on?" Lucy bawled over the din of the guild.

"You'll understand when tomorrow comes," the bartended smiled.

…

Lucy stood in the crowd of Fairy Tail guild members, the air crackling with excitement… or maybe with burning wood, considering how much heat was coming of a super-excited Natsu.

"Since long ago, this has been Fairy Tail's custom! And now…" Makarov allowed some tension to build, "the announcement of the participants in the S-class wizard promotion trial!"

"The S-class wizard promotion trial?" Lucy cried.

This looked promising.

And as long as she had Natsu by her side, she believed she could overcome anything.

…..


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: This is the final chapter of Broken Toys…. And takes place directly before Natsu and co return from Tenrou Island.**

** I sincerely thank you for reading this story to the very end, especially those of you that reviewed! I hope you all enjoyed this and didn't think it a waste of your life! Ciao!**

** Ah, before I go, there will be a prequel to this story, a history of Midnight Sun and its interaction with Fairy Tail before the Dollhouse incident. It will probably be title Toy Box, so for those of you who are interested, keep an eye out. **

** Thanks again!**

Seven Years Later

"Grahhhhhh!" The fierce war cry was followed by the splintering of wood and shouts of bystanders as bits of timber fell into their food, drink, or faces.

"SUTEKO! NIGHTER!" The woman's roar sounded faintly reminiscent to an angry mountain lion as Shade Moore stormed down the black flight of stairs above the Midnight Sun bar. The twin boys who sat in the midst of the recently destroyed table looked up, one with guilt and the other with fear.

"Ah…" said one of the six year olds.

"M-mom…." The other laughed nervously.

Both had midnight black hair, pale skin, and brilliant periwinkle eyes that shifted color from time to time. They both wore black, sleeveless tunics and blue high-waters, white scarves around their necks. Identical in every way, the only way to tell the boys apart was by actions.

Suteko, which meant 'child of stars' was fierce, always ready for a fight, and had no qualms as far as blowing things up went. Nighter was calmer, more thoughtful, likely to think before he acted and wasn't entirely comfortable destroying other people's property.

"He did it!" Suteko said loudly, pointing at Nighter.

"Wha…. Traitor!" Nighter said weakly, looking up at his mother as she towered over him, eyes practically glowing red. Shade sighed, calming down slightly, and looked toward the bar.

"Wish, help me with them," she pleaded. Wish Moore glanced in their direction and stood up tiredly.

"Oh crap…." Suteko muttered to Nighter, "She called Dad…. Later!" the little boy melted into the shadows below him almost liquid-like and disappeared.

"Hey wait!" Nighter cried in panic, "Don't leave meeee!" a crimson portal opened at his side and he slipped in, reappearing at his uncle's side.

A tall twenty one year old blonde with honey colored eyes looked up from his drink. Dressed in a red short sleeved button up shirt that was left open over his bare chest, black cargo pants, and a fanged choker, Kova showed surprise at the sudden appearance of his nephew. On his other side sat Kazin; fourteen and tall for his age, he wore red cargo shorts, no shoes, no shirt, and a spiked collar with a bronze dog tag that had the Midnight Sun symbol etched into it with silver. Across from them sat Wish's brother Nova, a fifteen year old with curly brown hair like his brother, the same shifting eyes, but minus the exhaustion. His dark blue coat reached the back of his knees, his white pants too long and nearly covering his tennis shoes.

"Uncles! Hide me!" Nighter hissed to Kova, Kazin and Nova. Suteko appeared beside Kazin and nodded vigorously. The three people at the table exchanged glances.

"Um… Nee-san is scary," Kazin said with a nervous smile. Nova agreed and took a mouthful of his pasta. Wish walked over and sat down beside his brother, completely calm.

"I think you guys should stop breaking things. Your mother brought you into this world and she can take you out just as easily…. No, easier." The time mage told them, his voice slightly sharp. He opened his mouth to say more when a small knife flew out of nowhere and stuck in the wood between his fingers.

"I don't want to take a bath!" a boy with bronze hair and silver eyes shouted from his precarious perch on the balcony. Five and a half with the soul of a warrior and the brain of a strategist, he was defiant and as prickly as an urchin, as his name implied.

"Uni Jax, you're filthy! You _will _take a bath, and you'll take one when I say so!" Finny shouted at the top of her lungs. The little urchin shook his head and settled on the divider between the balcony over the bar and the empty space beyond, bare feet (with blackened bottoms) swinging in the air.

"You'll never take me alive!" he cried fiercely, brandishing a small filleting knife he had stolen out of the kitchens to imitate his father with.

"Shredder, get your son," Finny commanded.

"Huh? _My _son? _You _gave birth to him," Shredder said carelessly, "Besides, I've got my hands full." He presented the two year old girl in his hands. Her long blonde hair was tied in a messy bow, and her multicolored eyes watered with tears. "Oh, crap! It's okay Nami, don't cry, look, see? It's okay!"

Finny stifled a laugh. That little girl had her husband wrapped around her tiny little finger.

"I'll get him!" a little girl with waist length pink hair tied into two curling pigtail said, maroon eyes shining happily. She whistled, and a large black raven appeared in a puff of smoke. Hopping on its back, she flew upward, and the black talons clamped onto Uni's shoulder.

"Nooooo!" the boy cried, "Let me go Karasu! Don't do this to me!"

"But you smell like dead grass and trash!" she pointed out.

"And you smell like birds, but no one ever complains about _that_!"

"Silver-eyed violent freak!"

"Red eyed bird-brain!"

"You're just a spiky purple sea creature!"

"You're a black carrion eating bird!"

"I'mma drop you!" the girl hissed, "Right on your damn head!"

"You see?" Daisy yelped across the room to her husband, "She learns words like that from you!"

"Or anyone else in this guild. They use words worse than that around the kid all the time," Luca said, rolling his eyes. He still wore his trademark black coat, a single black feather braided into his spiky hair.

"I dare you!" Uni snapped, angrily brandishing his small blade.

"Fine," Karasu sniffed coldly. The large bird opened its talons, and knife master junior began his long tumble to the hard stone floor below. Not expecting his friend to actually drop him, he cried out and flailed around before the quick claws of the crow caught him again, abruptly ending his freefall.

Wish watched this all with half lidded eyes.

"Ah, I can't tell if our guild is going to be screwed up or brilliant with this generation…." He said with a sigh. He followed the activities of the guild in one sweep of his gaze.

Dune had come to sit with Kova, Zash's navy eyes following his sister suspiciously, drilling holes in the back of the hunter's head with his glare as the couple exchanged a quick kiss. Kazin stuck out his tongue behind his brother's back and exchanged disgusted looks with Nova before the two young boys got up and left. Wish, feeling like the awkward third wheel, also went across the room and sat down.

Seven years since he had last heard anything from Fairy Tail. Shade had cried for weeks when she found out all of their friends in the other guild had been wiped out. Nothing they could do about it however, and life moved on.

Leaning on his elbow he stared into a dark corner, gazing directly into a pair of violet eyes. The silhouette of a young girl wavered there in the shadows, in her arms a doll. She raised her hand in greeting, though she never turned her eyes from his.

Wish waved back slowly; it had been a while since Lacie had appeared in the dark. Seven years ago she had joined the other faces that haunted his darkness, but for a long while she had vanished. Wish could see her mouth moving, but he made no move to reply, remembering a poem from his childhood. He never made verbal replies to the shade apparitions.

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to the guild, closed his mind to black thoughts, closed his heart to the pain of loss.

He went over the poem in his head.

_Beware the stare of Mary Shaw  
>She had no children, only dolls<br>and if you see her in your dreams  
>Make sure you never ever scream…<em>

_Or she'll rip your tongue out at the seam._

_And if you see her remember this,  
>The only thing that can stop her is…<em>

_Dead _

_Silence_


End file.
